Croatia: Old Town Split
Can’t deny that we had a beautiful view from Zadar to Split. Not wanting to worry about parking a rental car, I planned the trip to be with accommodations in pedestrian areas. Jumping on the Flixbus was the perfect way to travel. Spending a mere $36 for two tickets… comfortable seats, luggage included and only a few tops. The drive was about three hours of sheer beauty! Given the opportunity, I would definitely travel this way again… especially since I know where the stations are now!
Arriving at the Flixbus Station in Split, we checked the map. It was only a seven-minute walk so obviously a taxi was not necessary! Following the maps app to the apartment, Barry felt I must be mistaken in my directions… we couldn’t possibly find a place to stay inside the palace grounds. Always looking for the Old Town/pedestrian areas in the places we visit, I had indeed booked a place inside the palace grounds. We walked through these arched walls (The Silver Gate) and onto the palace grounds.
Our Airbnb had a two-seat sofa with a smart tv and two coffee tables. Our kitchen was well stocked. It had a small refrigerator, sink, lots of counterspace and cupboards filled with pots and pans. We only used it one night for wine and a charcuterie board. It had a nice dining room table. Everything was perfect for us! We spent the first evening watching Netflix movies after dinner.
Quiet and comfortable is how I describe this bed! Located on an alleyway of cafes and restaurants, it was surprisingly quiet! We had a second bedroom with a twin bed that we used for our luggage. The whole front side of the apartment had shutters that opened that filled the room with light.
By the time we got to the apartment, let ourselves in… got settled, we had worked up quite an appetite. Inside the palace walls we found a maze of alleyways full of restaurants. Our challenge was finding something that fit my absurd dietary restrictions and Barry’s pickiness. It seemed that the seafood restaurants had fresh fish and only fresh fish. The places with meats tended to fry their fish, which wouldn’t work for me. After roaming for a bit, I noticed a place that I read about with great reviews. I remembered it because the name was unusual… To Je Tako. Their corn tortillas were homemade, and the tacos were yummy! We had a cocktail to top off the meal. Cute decor, great service and fresh tasting food. It turned out to be a great choice!
To get to the heart of the palace, we walked through this tunnel, right outside our door. Old Town Split has many tunnels and arched entries. The town has so much character! In this photo, we are walking away from our apartment. Our door is right behind me… along with three restaurants and a coffee cafe.
Leaving the tunnel and turning left, we could walk outside through one of four gates. This one is called the “Golden Gate”. One afternoon, I noticed a woman open a door which blended into the wall. Then, I realized there were windows. So, people live inside the rock walls. Just outside was a giant statue! A Croatian hero, Gregory of Nin was famous for standing up to the Catholic church. He fought to use the national language, rather than Latin, in services so the people could understand. If you zoom in, you can see that his toe is shiny gold… people from all around rub his toe for good luck. :-)
Diocletian’s Palace was designed as a residence for the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the third century AD. It’s design could be referred to as a fortress because it is surrounded by walls, it is technically a palace because it was built as the emperor’s retirement home. Built of white limestone, marble and brick. For the most part it has held up but as you can see, there are remnants on the ground.
The perimeter of the central piazza was lined with cement steps. The Cafe and Restaurant Lvxor Split sits at the base of the tower. Every evening, locals and tourists gathered in the piazza beneath this clocktower. The restaurant placed soft, pillowy cushions with small, rectangular, low to the ground wooden tables for guests to enjoy sunset cocktails. Every bell toll was enjoyed by us…whether we were out walking or in our room.
Sitting just outside the Cathedral of Saint Domnius is the sculpture of a sphinx. Emperor Diocletian brought twelve of them from Egypt. Only one survived and sits watching over the cathedral and Vestibule. The photo in the middle is of a small temple. Dedicated to Jupiter, it is the only temple of three that still exists. Barry checked it out and took a few photos of his own.
Intrigued by the decor, we popped into this bar. Colorful Picasso was the perfect place for an afternoon espresso martini. Unfortunately, I couldn’t eat there because they only served pizzas. Barry was a little disappointed because it was their brick pizza oven that caught his eye the minute we walked into the building. Walls of bottles, Picasso colors as the theme… and excellent service, we had an enjoyable stop off.
Scenes around town… What I found interesting about life inside the Palace walls was that it seemed like it was touristy because of the number of souvenir shops. At the same time, around any corner we would find laundry drying in the breeze, Quirky designs like the stairs on the right-hand photo. It almost seems impossible that people live in such a historical spot…
During our days in Split, we only ventured outside the walls a couple of times. The boardwalk was more modern. Lined with bars and restaurants. A younger crowd gathered around this area due to the bars, liquor store and endless street food booths. School was letting out because groups of “twenty somethings” started to show up.
Another day, another Aperol Spritz… With our perfect weather, ordering a refreshing drink was fun! Barry had mostly beer but on this day, he had a Cuba Libre with Kraken Rum. He said it was tasty! It was the perfect place to people watch. Being outside the walls, there seemed to be many more locals out strolling. From the time I left home in mid-April, everyone we’ve come across has been so warm and welcoming.
It’s easy to find your way around… not get lost… when everywhere you look, there’s the clocktower! Day or night, this landmark is visible.
As has been the case in other European countries, we have to order more than one every day. We’ve been told that the cups are small because the coffees are strong. That might be the case but it was just not satisfying to take three sips and be finished… Barry was able to enjoy a pastry with coffee but we didn’t find any coffee shops with gluten-free items… until Salt Gluten-Free House! Walking in the door made me so happy! Everything in the small shop was fresh and G/F. The sweet girl that worked behind the counter let me know that the owner also has a restaurant with a full menu of items I can eat! That’s SO exciting!
