Split, on Croatia's Dalmatian
coast, is another sought-after tourist destination, replete with
a beautiful promenade, beaches, and points of historical
interest. Curious to explore the Croatian coastline and eager to
avoid the summer crowds, we headed to Split on a cold but clear
day in January. Leaving from the Zagreb bus station, we
embarked on what was purported to be a 4 1/2 hour trip, arriving
in Split about seven hours later. The trip took us through the
countryside, where there seemed to be a church steeple and a
small village every couple of minutes. To enter Split, the bus
had a steep climb up and over a mountain pass before descending
to the coast. When passing through
the mountains we got our first taste of real snow in about 25
years. Tired but 
eager to see the city,
we 
arrived
at
the bus station late in the afternoon and hauled our bags the
roughly 800 meters to the Judita Palace Heritage Hotel, our base
of operation for the next several days.
Our introduction to Split began
at Narodni Trg, or the "People's Square," in the heart of
Split's "Old Town. It was originally named St. Lawrence Square,
after a church that occupied the site. The square dates back to
the 13th century, when the city expanded beyond the walls of the
Diocletian Palace. It is a wonderful place from which to begin
to explore the city, and home to a number of palaces. Clearly
this is where the "movers and shakers" of Medieval and
Renaissance Split chose to live. The houses of the rich and
famous display a dizzying array of architectural styles.
Our tour of the square begins at the west end and traces a
clockwise direction (see the map, upper left). First is the art
nouveau style Nakic House on the west end of the square,followed
by the Romanesque Ciprianis Palace on the square's southeast
corner, the Renaissance-style Palovic palace midway down the
southern side of the square, and the Romanesque/Gothic Karepic
Palace at the southwest corner of the square. Tucked around the
corner from the Karepic Palace is the Cambi Palace. Also of note
in the square is the 15th century Gothic Old Town Hall, now a
museum. Next to the Old Town Hall is the Standarac, a monument
and flagpole dedicated to the defeat of the Nazis and Fascists
in World War II. The Chapel of St. Lawrence, a small affair,
abuts the Old Town Hall. Photos of each building are shown in
the same clockwise sequence below. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Nakic House
Art Noveau Design |
Standarac Anti-Fascist Memorial |
Old Town Hall 15th Century Gothic Design |
Chapel of St. Lawrence (Upper Level) |
Karepic Palace Romanesque/Gothic |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Cambi Palace
|
Church of Our Lady of the Bell Tower
|
Ciprianis Palace
Romanesque Design |
Pavlovic Palace Renaissance Style |
Judita Palace
16th Century Palace Judita Palace Heritage Hotel |
Just off Marmantova,
which is the main walking street in Split, is Chops and Grill.
On our last full day in Split we walked from the riva or
promenade up this long street and found the restaurant just off
a side street. The restaurant is light and airy, and has a
bistro feel to it. It also offers a large outdoor terrace when
the weather is fair. When we visited,the weather was inclement,
and we ducked inside to have a light lunch. The restaurant bills
itself as a grill and seafood place, but we sought something a
bit lighter as we waited for the rain to subside. Tracy had a
creamy soup and Dale opted for the duck
bruschetta, both washed down with a nice class of Rose. There
are worse ways to pass a rainy day on 
the
coast! [Website]
On our final night in Split
(isn't it funny how well your memory works when it comes to
food?) we trudged up the hill from the riva to visit Konoba
Fetivi. This
is
a very unassuming place, and its interior is decorated in an
almost "picnic" style with slatted tables and chairs and a very
nautical theme throughout. It definitely had a "you are at the
beach feel," and the wait staff were friendly and knowledgeable.
However, we did not miss the "Michelin Star" award on the door,
and we knew we would be in for a treat. Placing ourselves in the
hands of the chef, he prepared a platter
of squid and two types of local fish that were delicious. [Michelin Guide Page]
We visited the Makarun
restaurant at the suggestion of the staff of the Judita Palace
Heritage Hotel. It was located on a side street, less than a
minute away from the hotel, very convenient when winter rains
threaten. This was more of a fine dining experience.
The street entrance, shown in the photo to the left, leads
patrons down a set of stairs and into a courtyard, shown in the
photo to the right. Beyond the courtyard is the interior dining
area, shown in the photo at the bottom left. Behind the main
indoor dining area is a bar that was doing a very healthy volume
of business the night we visited. My
epicurean memory fails me, but I believe that I had a tenderloin
and Tracy dined on fish. 
[Website]
Our
first
night, again on the advice of the hotel staff, we sought a
nearby restaurant favored by locals. Villa
Spiza offers local seafood in an informal setting, a series of
high tables that overlook the kitchen. The friendly wait staff
advised us on what was available that day. By the time we
arrived the menu was rather limited. So, taking the suggestion
from the waiter, we dined on shrimps from the Adriatic.
Tasty but, coming from Asia, I understand why these crustaceans
are called shrimp and
not prawns, as that is generally a good indication of their
relative size. And these were the BIG ones! Still a tasty but
mess meal was had by us both. [Facebook Page]
There is also a version of this tour designed
specifically for VR headsets such as Google
For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera
app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device
Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion
Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split
screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for
fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a
video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds!
[The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to
this page]
Another must-see in Split is
the Gallery of sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. Born in Slavonia, he
apprenticed in Split and made it his adopted home, even as he
gained world-wide fame. The gallery occupies the former summer
villa of the sculptor, one of several properties he acquired in
Split. The villa is in a prime location on a hill
overlooking the Adriatic, a short walk from the city's historic
center. Originally the two wings of the villa were to be
residences, while the central area was an exhibition hall.
In 1952, Metrovic dontated the villa and its grounds to Croatia.
Many of the interior walls were removed to set up a series of
exhibition spaces. Below is a video of the Mestrovic Gallery,
offering an overview of the Gallery, and its grounds.