After my daytrip to Mljet I took the bus from Dubrovnik to Split, the second largest city of Croatia. The journey takes about 5 hours and follows the coastline for a major part, offering spectacular views. We left Dubrovnik just as the sun was starting to set, which made the whole scene even more beautiful.
My bus arrived in Split at 11pm and there I was met by the friendly hostess who I'd booked a room with. I stayed in her guesthouse the first night. This type of accommodation is very common in Croatia. People, mostly elderly ladies, will wait at the bus stations trying to persuade tourists arriving in town to stay in their room. The room I stayed in was actually a dorm, but it lacked the hostel 'feel' for me, so in the morning I moved to a 'real' hostel right at the edge of the old town of Split, a three-minute walk from the esplanade, or 'Riva' as the locals call it. I started the first day exploring the old town center with the Diocletian's Palace, an old roman palace built in the 4th century. The historic town is made up of beautiful light coloured architecture, has many laneways and cool places to explore and eat, and has a real beachy vibe.
And I certainly did spend some time on the beach (of which I forgot to take photos), but I also indulged in some nice Croatian food. At the local popular restaurant Buffet Fife I had some goulash, getting a lot of food for 45 kuna. But to eat like the locals you definitely need to head to the markets. There's a big green market with loads of fresh produce on offer, and a little further down the street there's a fish market. The fish market may make some a little queasy, and the smell is quite... well, fishy. But I love seafood. If I lived in Split or if my hostel would have had a decent kitchen, I definitely would have bought some fresh fish or prawns here. Yum!
There's plenty to do in Split, even if you don't embark on one of the many excursions on offer. One nice thing to do when you get tired of the busy town center is head towards Marjan hill, only about a twenty minute walk from the riva. It's a bit of a climb up, but there's good opportunity for walking and there are some nice views at the top (no good for panorama shooting though - unfortunately the views are quite obstructed with greenery).
I loved Split, I think it may have been my favourite town in Croatia. There's just something about the relaxed atmosphere, and I loved getting lost in the laneways of the center with its many bakeries and places to snack. For anyone wanting to visit Croatia for a holiday, this would probably be the best place to base yourself. It's very affordable and almost perfectly in the center of all the best places to visit and the town itself has plenty to offer if you just want a chilled out vacation. I would definitely recommend this place, and certainly wouldn't mind coming back to Split, given the chance.
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