Best of the Adriatic

A Rick Steves' Tour - The Best of the Adriatic

Day 7: Dinner in Split ... Day 8: Split City & Diocletian's Palace Tour, Beach, Dinner ... Day 9: Split solo exploration

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Shops in the Palace interior

Me, Heather, and my mom at dinner

The Riva

We arrived in Split with enough time to relax before going out for a group dinner. Tina gave us a quick city orientation as we walked to our restaurant, Sperun ... where we ate another fabulous meal!

Day 8

Klapa Music

We ate dinner at this cozy restaurant, Sperun

The exterior of Diocletian's Palace with structures built directly in front of it

After dinner, we walked around downtown Split, people watching and enjoying the nightlife. Tina pointed us to The Riva - the location of Split's "promenade." After dinner, locals stroll this strip between the harbor and Diocletian's Palace. According to Tina, when you stroll the Riva, dressing in style is of utmost importance.

Quartet singing traditional Croatian Klapa music

Our Split city guide explains the map of Diocletian's Palace

Dinner at Sperun - a fish dinner with many delicious side dishes

Day 7

Swimming in an ocean of people!

We began the day with a fascinating tour of Diocletian's Palace. Diocletian was the Roman Emperor from A.D. 284 - 305. He had grown up nearby and later had this palace built for his retirement. The exterior of this enormous palace was more than 600 feet long on each side. Eventually, the city of Split was built around and into the palace. Now the interior of the palace is the heart of the city. (The title picture of this page is a picture from the interior of Diocletian's Palace - in Peristyle Square.)

Katie's shrimp!

Diocletian's cellars

Shopping within the Palace walls

Fun at Konoba Hvaranin

Me in the cathedral bell tower

During our tour, we came across this quartet singing Klapa music, traditional music of this region, the Dalmatia Coast. It was marvelous!

The owner of Konoba Hvaranin is originally from Hvar ... thus the name of his restaurant.

The owner and his son, cook and waiter

Want fish? Choose which one before it's prepared.

Pasticada - my favorite meal of the whole trip!

Split puppy ~ peaking out his window 3 stories up

The next morning we had a few hours free before departing for the islands of Hvar and Korcula. I decided to do some exploring by myself. I returned to the old town in Diocletian's Palace and wandered the streets.

Crumbling walls within Diocletians Palace
Do you notice the contrast in this image?

Split Fish Market

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After our guided tour, a few of us got smoothies for lunch and then headed to the beach. Unfortunately, I think we chose the wrong beach to go to. The water was nice and warm, but it was like sharing a giant bathtub with a few hundred other people!

After swimming we strolled through Diocletian's Palace along the way ... shopping!

For dinner that evening, some of us followed the recommendation of a local Split resident. We went to her favorite restaurant, Konoba Hvaranin ... and I went as far as just ordering what she had said was her favorite dish, Pasticada ... a beef dish that has been marinated for several days and is served with gnocci. It's a typical Dalmatian dish. (Dalmatia is the coastal region of Croatia from Zadar to Dubrovnik.)

Diocletian's Palace
Peristyle Square

I climbed to the top of the bell tower at the Cathedral of St. Dominus.

Later I met up with my mom and Kate and we walked to the west of town. From there we were able to see some nice views of Split and it's harbor.

Ah, Split ~ The Riva & Diocletian's Palace can be seen right by the water's edge
Too bad we have to leave!

Bell Tower, Cathedral of St. Dominus in Diocletian's Palace

Split's open-air market

Taking in the views with Kate and my mom

Walking up the hill to the west of town

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Day 9