Early March, I decided I would drop everything and go somewhere after my trip to Iceland. The world was my oyster. I looked into potential opportunities in everywhere from Spain to Morocco to Egypt to Russia to China. By mid-March I had tentatively committed to a program in Split, Croatia. The schedule fit snug into my schedule, having me leave a week after Iceland and return two weeks before graduation. It was love at first Google image search, and by late March I had my tickets booked.

Two weeks later I was on a big shiny plane to Munich (srsly Lufthansa has amazing new planes), and then a smaller less shiny (ok, pretty old..) plane to Split. A few steps from the plane, a few more steps past customs and a couple more past the baggage claim and I was in my new home.

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The first thing I noticed was the similarities. The mountains looked like home. Slightly balding. With some shrubbery. Aside from the climate, just about everything else was different. You could see the history of the land everywhere. The ancient Roman architecture starkly contrasts from the Yugoslavian-looking high rises nearby and the orange tiled roofs add in a Mediterranean flair to the mix, occasionally interrupted by a recently-built modern construction.

Given that our job (I’m here with 6 other people from 5 different countries) is to help sell Split to the world, we lost no time in familiarizing ourselves with the labyrinth that is the city center. Downtown Split is essentially Diocletian’s palace, it all its maze-like glory, a living monument filled with small shops and restaurants tucked into the nooks and crannies of the ancient palace. The first time we walked through it felt like a maze. The map looked like a QR code. But by the second, third, fourth time, the narrow streets started making sense. And a few coffees later, I began to feel oriented and able to navigate the labyrinth. So let’s take a walk through downtown Split!

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All things seem to begin and end on the Riva. Split’s sea-front riviera is lined with cafés that are populated by visitors and locals alike. The row of cafés is sandwiched by an open market on the east and Prokurative, the iconic Republic Square, on the west. Riva marks the southern “gate” to the palace, historically providing access to the sea.

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Prokurative is a historic square built in the mid-20th century. It’s actually the Republic Square, but for some reason everyone calls it Prokurative. Prokurative also does not sound like a proper noun, so for a long time I just called it the “pink building at the end of Riva.” The arched building has an Italian influence and houses some restaurants and cafe bars that are popular among locals. The square also hosts many cultural events throughout the year. Ducking through the arches, you can go from the ever-bustling Marmont St. to a more quiet part of Split.

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The most famous street in Split is Marmontova Ulica, which connects the Riva to Trg Gaje Bulata, the square that houses Split’s National Theatre. The pedestrian street also has many cafés, bakeries and stores, including a modern shopping center, and the traditional fish market (which you can definitely smell before you even see it). It’s a popular place to hang out, and a meeting spot, apparently. One of our local friends said he would meet us on this street. We ended up circling a couple times before realizing we were already there. We’ll be spending a good portion of our time in Split walking up and down this street for sure.

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The Pirja Fountain is usually off, but sometimes water shoots from the hand sculpture mounted on the building into the funnel. It splashes everywhere (hence why it’s usually off).

Trg Gaje Bulata is easily recognized by the bright yellow National Theatre. We’re getting used to ducking past the theatre to another open square and more importantly, the only student cafeteria in downtown.

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While the southern side of the palace lines the Riva, the northern gate has a much more quiet vibe, with just the occasional tour group interrupting the peace. The Golden Gate, or Zlatna Vrata, is known for the towering statue of Grgur Ninski, a medieval bishop who decided to use Croatian instead of Latin. But most people just know him as the statue with the lucky toe. Apparently, rubbing his toe brings good luck. The toe has been rubbed golden over the years.

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Within the palace are more squares, Trg in Croatian. The National Square (Narodni Trg) is always filled with tourists eating and drinking at the many restaurants there. A clock tower oversees the square. Besides being the oldest clock in Split, it is also weird in that it tells time in 24 hrs instead of 12. So it takes some getting used to before you can read the clock properly.

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Of course the most iconic part of Diocletian’s Palace is Peristil, which houses the famous tower of Split. On any given day, it is infested with tourists and their selfie sticks, filing in from the cellars (which connect the Riva to Peristil).

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Beyond the cathedral is the eastern gate, the Silver Gate. I think it’s the prettiest. That is all.

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If you walk up over the cellars and duck behind the cathedral, you get to what I’ve decided is my favorite part of the palace. One of our local friends took us there on my second day and it felt like a welcome escape from the touristy Peristil. Originally the private chambers of Diocletian, the open arches now overlook the Riva.

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Over on the other side is Jupiter’s Temple. Next to the most narrow street in Europe. And a headless sphinx stolen from Egypt long ago. There’s several sphinxes around.

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Past the Silver Gate and extending toward Riva is the open market.

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(ew, i know)

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But it seems like no matter what there are two things we can’t escape. One is wandering through a bunch of narrow alleys to get anywhere. Two is sitting down for coffee. Somehow, no matter how much is on the agenda, there is always time for coffee. And coffee lasts a long time in Split.

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Even after over a week, I still feel like I’m navigating a labyrinth every day. I think no matter how long we stay here, there will always be a new tiny alley to explore. Split may be small, but it has so much to offer – if you can find it!

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