I was so lucky to get to travel to Split, Croatia to present at the 2022 Roman Archaeology Conference! Shoutout to the University of York’s YGRS Conference Fund which helped fund my trip. While there was a lot of networking and interesting presentations to attend, there was time for some exploring too.
So read along to make note of five great things to do while in Split!
Explore Diocletian’s Palace
One of the great things about exploring a new city during a conference is that you often get access to smaller buildings and rooms which are off limits to the general public. There were a lot of back alleyways and charming restaurants in Diocletian’s Palace which you could spend all day exploring.
We didn’t get an official tour, but there are a number of plaques which provide some background on the history of the palace and certain buildings.
Palace Tour Options
- 90-min Diocletian Palace Walking Tour with optional Wine and food Tasting
- Walking Tour of Split with a ‘Magister’ of History
- Game of Thrones Tour Split – City Of Dragons
- Jewish Heritage & Diocletian’s Palace Private Split Tour
If you’re looking for some places to eat, check out my post (coming soon) on all the spots we went!
Sit on the Riva and people watch
This is definitely an activity for those who like to slowly sip in the culture of a new destination. I love to people watch, and the Riva feels like it was basically set up for the purpose. On a clear day, you get a beautiful view of the port and nearby islands while sipping on your drink of choice. There are several restaurants and bars, so plenty of options if you wanted to spend each morning or afternoon of your trip taking a break.
Take the stairs to Park šuma Marjan
Usually I plan a detailed itinerary when traveling, but I was so nervous preparing for my first conference presentation that I didn’t get a chance to look at the options in Split. Thankfully my partner read about the stairs to Park šuma Marjan, and suggested it for sunset.
The reviews make it sound more exhausting than it was in my opinion. The stairs are daunting, but once you get going it’s actually not too far and there are several places to stop and catch your breath if you need. We didn’t plan to walk all the way to the top, but the weather and sunset were beautiful so we figured why not! If you’d rather do this journey by e-bike, there’s a tour for that here: Marjan Park Forest tour with Greyp fully electric bike.
Go to the Archaeology Museum (Muzej hrvatskih arheoloških spomenika) or Mestrovic Gallery (Galerija Meštrović)
We somewhat stumbled upon the Mestrovic Gallery on a walk one morning, but were pleasantly surprised! I would highly recommend walking along the coast for a bit and then once you get to Plaža Ježinac, head up to the main road and you’ll be right at the entrance.
Grab a self-guided pamphlet at the entrance to the Mestrovic Gallery and enjoy learning about the sculptor while wandering around his beautiful home-turned-gallery.
For those who are more interested in the Archaeology Museum, this Split and Salona Cultural Heritage Small Group Tour includes the ticket in its price!
Take a Ferry to a Nearby Island
We had heard that a great way to spend a day in Split, is actually to take a ferry to a nearby island! We chose Hvar after our lovely Airbnb host Ivana recommended this island.
Figuring out the ferries took a bit of time, but eventually we figured out that there were just two ferry trips between Split and Hvar each day since it was during the off-season. We booked tickets for 9:00am and a return ticket for 6:30pm from Hvar on https://krilo.hr. Ivana also recommend http://jadrolinija.hr. The ferries were actually quite prompt, so I would recommend getting to the port 15 minutes or so early to board and get a good seat.
It is worth noting that Hvar is pretty quiet in the off-season! It was a beautiful island and we were able to entertain ourselves by exploring the fort and the coastal trail, but there definitely some people who expected more of a party scene. Keep in mind that there are only a few places serving food, and don’t rely on the reviews to be accurate when it’s not the middle of summer! Nevertheless we still enjoyed this day trip.
Things to do in Hvar
- Full-Day Sea Caving Experience of Croatian Islands from Hvar
- Hvar Wine Tasting Small Group Tour (we had some great local wine in Hvar!)
- Full-Day Catamaran Cruise to Hvar & Pakleni Islands with Food and free Drinks
- Blue cave and Hvar Town – 5 islands tour
And that’s my top five recommendations for Split, Croatia! There’s so much to do in this charming city though, so feel free to use these ideas as jumping off points for larger adventures!
Comment any other Split tips below ⬇
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xx Melissa
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