Split, Croatia
Split is certainly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited. It is the second largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb and is located on the eastern shore of the beautiful Adriatic Sea, where is spread out over a peninsula that was once the palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Split is considered to be just over 1,700 years old if you count Diocletian’s palace construction in 305 CE, but the Greeks apparently settled the area much earlier. Split has seen its fair share of wars, from the influence of Greece, Rome, then Venice, and eventually became a free city in the middle and high ages into modern-day, where it was largely affected by Italy, then Germany in World War II. In 1991, the country of Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia in the Croatia War of Independence.
The city hosts a humid subtropical and Mediterranean climate with a range of 40F to 85F, making it ideal for summers and months outside of the colder winters, where the city is certainly still pleasant. Visiting at the end of May was impeccably timed, as the weather was incredible and the day-long booze cruise that we attended was accompanied by a cloudless sky and water that was a perfect balance between refreshing and chilly, while the air was a bit windy to ensure that the warmth wasn’t too noticeable. It was a gorgeous few days.
I found Split to be the friendliest city in Croatia, perhaps due to the regularity of tourism in the city. The climate and oceanic breeze were unbeatable, even for a native Californian and the cities windy and labyrinth like streets were as welcoming as the ocean; though it was quite easy to get lost. If I had stayed for longer, I would have gotten lost several times on purpose to ensure that I could find the little nooks and crannies that seem to be so magical in places like Split.
The food was not too expensive, though excellent. Lots of seafood and plenty of bars by the ocean; though I would absolutely recommend eating in the city center, then making your way out to the coastal areas for after-dinner drinks, or to watch the sun set over the horizon.
Today we arrived in Modena, Italy and will be enjoying a couple of days in Italy before moving on to Zurich, then I will be returning to Paris for four days. Looking forward, stay tuned.