Weekend i Split - mysigt även på vintern

A weekend in Split, Croatia - why not? We travelled to Split for a few days over Christmas, and it turned out that this Croatian city is lovely even in winter. Here we share photos and some tips on what to see and do during a weekend.

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Split in Croatia

Split is not only Croatia's second largest city, but also a popular tourist destination and a place with a long and exciting history. The city serves as an excellent starting point for discovering cities, natural areas and islands in the Croatian landscape of Dalmatia. The historical part, with Diocletian's Palace, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Split is located in central Dalmatia, just off the Adriatic Sea in Croatia.

Why a weekend in Split?

So, why a weekend in Split? In fact, this city is our favourite city in Croatia. The historic centre is not only interesting, but also incredibly charming to stroll around.

In a limited geographical area, you have access to everything from sights and museums to restaurants, shopping and spas. What's more, you can look out over the beautiful green shimmering Adriatic Sea almost all the time.

Seven experiences during a weekend in Split

Here are seven experiences you won't want to miss during a weekend in Split. These are all things that work just as well in winter as in summer. Of course, in the summer you can also sunbathe, swim and take boat trips to various nearby islands ...

1. History from Roman times

One of the most fascinating things about Split is its Roman-era history. Walking in the centre of historic Split, you'll find yourself inside the remains of Diocletian's Palace, built in the 2nd century AD.

In many other cities, you have to queue and pay an entrance fee to see these kinds of sights - but here the palace is an integral part of the city. People live here and there are restaurants, cafes and shops. Really cool!

Joining a guided tour is really interesting. If you go on your own, you can look for the four great gates (of which the Golden Gate is the former main gate), the central square Peristyle, the Cathedral of St Domnius and the basement of the palace.

Weekend i Split - Peristylen — The central square Peristyle

Weekend i Split - Guldporten — The Gold Gate, or Golden Gate, in Diocletian's Palace

2. Game of Thrones filming locations

When you think of the TV series "Game of Thrones" and Croatia, the city of Dubrovnik might be the first thing that comes to mind, but in fact you can find filming locations in Split as well. Among other things, you can discover:

The basement of Diocletian's palace - Here Daenerys goes down to train her dragons.
Alley at Papalićeva Street in Diocletian's Palace - In this alley, the slaves rebel and write "Kill the Masters" on the wall.
Village of Zrnovnica - Daenerys' handmaiden Missandei has a bathing scene in season 4.
Klis Fortress - When Daenerys takes the city of Meereen and punishes the rulers by nailing them to crosses.

Diocletianus palats källare — The basement of Diocletian's palace

3. Museums in Split

There are a bunch of interesting and exciting museums to visit in Split. You can find a list here.

Split City Museum (Muzej grada Splita) tells about the history and cultural heritage of the city (Papalićeva ul. 1).
Split Ethnographic Museum (Etnografski muzej Split) displays traditional folk costumes and more. (Ul. Iza Vestibula 4)
Game of Thrones museum Split is for fans of the popular TV series (Bosanska ul. 9).
Diocletian's Dream is a really cool VR experience that takes you back to Roman times (Zagrebačka ul. 1).
Froggyland is an unusual museum with stuffed frogs doing human activities (Ul. kralja Tomislava 5).

4. Nice walks around Split

If you enjoy walking, there are several nice places to discover during a weekend in Split. We can recommend the Riva harbour promenade, the promenade towards Znjan beach and Marjan Park.

Riva harbour promenade

For a shorter walk, stroll along the harbour and the Riva harbour promenade. Here you can enjoy palm trees and watch all the ferries taking passengers out to the surrounding islands.

Promenade towards Žnjan beach

If you wish, you can then continue eastwards along the coast towards the popular Žnjan beach. Almost the entire promenade, which is around 5 kilometres long, runs beautifully along the waterfront. As well as beautiful views, there are a number of cafés, bars and restaurants along the way.

Marjan Park

Another great walking route can be found in Marjan Park. This large green oasis is located very close to the centre of Split and offers long beautiful paths and great viewpoints.

Be prepared for a steep climb and a lot of stairs at the beginning, but this is also the very best viewpoint in Split. You can also check out the church of St Nicholas.

5. Good food and cosy outdoor cafes

During a weekend in Split, you'll want to enjoy good food, and the city is certainly full of cosy restaurants. There are often nice outdoor seating areas and if the weather is good - or if the restaurant is equipped with heat lamps - you can sit outside even in winter.

If you want to discover traditional Croatian cuisine, you can choose a so-called 'konoba', a restaurant serving Croatian dishes. In addition, there are of course many restaurants with international cuisine on the menu. You can find more tips in the articles below.

READ MORE: Restaurants in Split - our top restaurant tips
READ MORE: What to eat in Croatia? - 20 Croatian specialities

6. Spa and wellness

During the summer months, Split is ideal for sunbathing and swimming. However, spa and wellness can be enjoyed all year round, even in winter. During our long weekend in Split, we stayed at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, located by the sea about 3 kilometres from the centre.

Here you can enjoy the swimming pool, whirlpools, sauna and relaxation room. There is also a wide range of treatments to choose from, such as traditional massage, Asian treatments and facials.

READ MORE: Spa weekend at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Split

7. shopping

Last but not least, you can of course go shopping during your weekend in Split. Perhaps the most enjoyable thing to do is to browse the small shops in the city centre. There are also larger shopping centres, such as Mall of Split and Joker Mall.

You can find clothes, shoes and accessories. Other products sold in Split include silver, red coral jewellery, locally made Christmas decorations and dried lavender, which is used for its scent.

Weekend in Split - how to travel there

In the summer months (mid-May to mid-October) there are several direct flights from Scandinavia to Split. For example, you can fly with SAS from Stockholm, Gothenburg or Copenhagen, or with Norwegian from Stockholm. In winter, you may need to change flights, for example in Frankfurt or Munich. Of course, you can also get here by car or motorhome.

Weekend in Split - where to stay

During our weekend in Split, we stayed at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, which was great if you also want to enjoy sea views as well as spa and wellness or sun and swimming.

Of course, if you want to stay right in the centre, there are also plenty of hotels to choose from, including small boutique hotels in the historic parts of the city. If you come with a motorhome or caravan, you can stay at the campsite in Stobrec.

Radisson Blu Resort & Spa i Split — Radisson Blu Resort & Spa

Weekend in Split - how to get around

Despite being Croatia's second largest city, Split is limited in size, making it fairly easy to get around. In the centre of Split you can go for a walk.

For longer distances, you can take a bus, rent a bike (there are bikes in racks that you can pay for with an app) or take a taxi. A cheaper alternative to taxis is to use the Uber or Bolt apps.

Weekend in Split - good to know

Croatia is a safe, clean and easy country to travel in, and so is Split. Almost everyone you meet speaks good English. As of 1 January 2023, the country is a member of Schengen and uses the euro currency. Prices are generally slightly lower than in Sweden, but higher than in neighbouring countries.

Film from Split

Here you can also watch a short film from Split.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Split is in a great location to see and discover many great places in Croatia. In the summer, you can take ferries in the harbour to travel to the surrounding islands, such as Where, Vis, Brač, Šolta and Korčula. If you have time left over from your city centre weekend in Split, you can also visit great places like Trogir or Omiš, or the amazing national park Krka.

Facts about Split

Region: Dalmatia
County: Split-Dalmatia County
Location: On the Split Peninsula in central Dalmatia, on the Adriatic Sea.
Residents: About 180,000 (Croatia's second largest city)
The name: In Italian Spalato. The origin of the name is not known, but one theory is that it is derived from the plant Spanish gin.
Read more: You can find more information on the local tourist office website.

6 Comments

Add yours →

Ann-Louise Paulsson says:

It looks really nice! I love Croatia and would love to visit Split sometime in the future.

04 January 2023 - 13:16

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Split is a fantastic city! We have been here several times and love coming back here! 🙂
  
  04 January 2023 - 19:29
  
BP says:

The film clip was lovely! Split is a charming city that offers most things and more. I absolutely understand that the city is one of your favourites. Also, the city's football team Hajduk also came on a corner in the film: -)

04 January 2023 - 18:53

bmlarstravellingblog says:

What a lovely city and we didn't stay in it when we did Croatia! It looks like a perfect destination for a weekend so maybe it can be a visit in the future.

04 January 2023 - 19:08

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It is difficult to stay everywhere, we know!!! But the better, then you have a reason to go back to Croatia! 🙂
  
  04 January 2023 - 19:30
  
Lena - good for the soul says:

Wonderful and inspiring trip! I have been to Croatia a couple of times. Really liked it. I especially liked Dubrovnik. Can definitely imagine returning to Croatia and discovering more.

Hug Lena

09 January 2023 - 16:06

Weekend in Split - cosy even in winter

Split in Croatia

Why a weekend in Split?

Seven experiences during a weekend in Split

1. History from Roman times

2. Game of Thrones filming locations

3. Museums in Split

4. Nice walks around Split

Riva harbour promenade

Promenade towards Žnjan beach

Marjan Park

5. Good food and cosy outdoor cafes

6. Spa and wellness

7. shopping

Weekend in Split - how to travel there

Weekend in Split - where to stay

Weekend in Split - how to get around

Weekend in Split - good to know

Film from Split

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Facts about Split

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6 Comments

Ann-Louise Paulsson says:

Helena says:

BP says:

bmlarstravellingblog says:

Helena says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

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