Exploring Split: A Weekend in Croatia

Whenever friends from my hometown in Montana make the trip to Europe, it’s always the goal to try and meet up with them. This time, one of my close friends was visiting Croatia and invited me to join her at her stop in Split. I didn’t have any coinciding plans and couldn’t say no! Searching for flights, I realized there weren’t any direct options from Nuremberg, and instead found a good one out of Stuttgart. Since my friends had already booked the Airbnb, all I had to do was get my ticket and count down the days until the trip!

Day 1:

Heading out early on a Friday morning, my flight was one of the first departures out of the Stuttgart Airport, scheduled for 6:10 am, just minutes after the very first flight of the day. The airport was much busier than I expected for such an early flight! Since buses only start running at a certain time, the earliest I could arrive was about 30 minutes before the gates closed. Uber would have been an option, but I was determined to make public transportation work. A little stressful, but thankfully, that ended up being literally just enough time to get through and onto the flight.

I slept through the whole flight and woke up in Split! I’d been told that taking a taxi into the city was the way to go, but me being stubborn, I decided to ignore the local advice and hop on a public bus instead. What should’ve been a 40 minute drive turned into about an hour and twenty. I definitely wasted some time, but I made it eventually! At the end of the day, €6 for the bus versus about €30 for an Uber was still a pretty big win.

Since I had a couple of hours before my friends’ boat arrived, I headed to a bakery to get some much needed coffee in my system. They had apricot croissants that were so good, and honestly perfect with my espresso. I probably should’ve gone to a café instead, though, just to avoid the rain. It was absolutely pouring!

I wandered through the old town, which I later found out is actually all part of Diocletian’s Palace. The upper section is free to walk around, but you can pay to access the underground Substructures. I decided to check them out and got the student ticket, which let me explore the massive basement halls.

The Substructures have largely remained unchanged since Roman times, with their function shifting over the centuries. In Diocletian’s day, they housed soldiers and servants of the palace, while in the Middle Ages they became a refuge and, at times, even a dumping ground.

The Substructures are also marketed as a Game of Thrones filming location. Like many spots across Croatia, they lean into the connection, even if the actual scenes filmed here were pretty minor.

Finally, my friends arrived and we headed to our Airbnb. It was in such a prime location, right in the downtown area and surprisingly affordable for how nice it was. We spent some time catching up and waiting out the heavy rain before heading out for lunch.

We ended up at a pizza spot called Bokamorra, which we found through TikTok. It did not disappoint! The food was so good and definitely a place I’d recommend checking out while in Split.

Afterwards, we walked around the old town, and I briefly showed them the spots I’d explored earlier. We then headed to a small market on the edge of the palace near the port and spent some time browsing around.

After exploring a bit more, we made our way to a small wine shop right by our Airbnb. We sat outside at a high table, played some card games, and enjoyed a few glasses of wine, it was such a nice, relaxed time.

Later, we wanted a change of scenery and headed to a restaurant by the water. Like most seaside cities, the waterfront was lined with restaurant after restaurant, so it was just a matter of picking one. We grabbed some prosecco this time, and with so much catching up to do, the little drinking stops were very much appreciated!

For dinner later in the evening, we ended up at Fig (thanks, TikTok!). Despite the long wait for a table, I can highly recommend it, the food was absolutely delicious. So far, we’d really lucked out with every meal we tried. It was a perfect first day, catching up with friends and exploring the old town of Split!

Day 2:

The next morning, we got ready for a short hike through the Marjan Forest Park we’d discovered—once again—on TikTok. Not gonna lie, I hardly ever use TikTok, but when it comes to traveling, it’s hands down the best way to find activities and restaurants!

The hike led us to the Marjan viewpoint. It was a pretty short walk, but the view was absolutely stunning with bright blue waters surrounded by vibrant green trees. We couldn’t resist continuing along the trail, curious to see if the view got even better, just to end up stumbling upon a mini zoo!

We didn’t have anything else planned until later, so we decided to check it out. It was mostly farm and petting zoo animals, but it was super cute, and in such a random location

If I’d had more time in Split, I definitely would’ve made a full day out of the Marjan Forest. The trail continues all the way to the very end of the coastline, where there are a few beaches. It would’ve been perfect for a beach day!

We then headed back down to the viewpoint, where a café was located, and enjoyed a coffee while taking in the view a little longer. For breakfast, we went to Ciri Biri Bela Kitchen. The food was tasty, though in my opinion, a bit on the pricey side.

Next up was our one planned activity of the weekend: a party boat booked through GetYourGuide. We were on the opposite side of Split and still had to grab a few things, so we were rushing. Along the way, we split up to pick up snacks and essentials, and half of our group made it just as we were about to board. But just as we were the last ones to be getting on, they said it was full! There were two spots still available, so my friend and I got on while the others ended up doing their own thing for the day. As they weren’t really looking forward to it, it ended up being perfect.

On the boat, we quickly made a bunch of new friends. May isn’t the warmest month in Split, but the weather actually cooperated as it should’ve been raining, according to the forecast! We grabbed some drinks and headed to the deck, where a dance party was in full swing.

After dancing for a while, we arrived at the first swimming spot. We took turns jumping off the deck, and I even managed a backflip from the high platform! The water was perfect and so refreshing.

Our next stop was a beach club in Milna, a town on the island of Brač just across from Split. The place was packed with people from different excursions, and everyone was having a great time sipping drinks and swimming in the pool. We were there for a while before the boat went back to Split. It was such a fun experience, and we even exchanged numbers with a few people to go out with later that evening.

The first order of business after returning was food. We picked one of the many waterfront restaurants and filled our stomachs. Later in the evening, we headed to Boiler Club, got some drinks, and chatted with people. It was a fun way to end such a long and eventful day!

Day 3-

For my last day we weren’t in a big hurry to do anything specific. After a slow morning, we headed to the beach to soak up the last rays before my afternoon flight. The weather was sunny and perfect for a beach day. It was called Bačvice Beach, which was peaceful and not too crowded.

To wrap up my time in Split, my friend and I walked into town and treated ourselves to some ice cream!

Highlights: