After Zagreb, Split felt like a tiny town. A weekend of wonders behind us, I for one, was exhausted.
We arrived back via bus late Sunday night. Got into a wild misunderstanding with the bus drivers when we were dropped off. It seems that in Croatia, buses don’t just stop at the final destination. Rather, it is socially acceptable to go ask the bus driver to drop you off closer to home. Apparently, even if this requires the driver to get off the highway just to drop one person off and then get back on and be on its merry way. Bizarre, I know. Anyways, someone was dropped off close to our hostel so we got off…but apparently they could only open one side of the luggage compartments and therefore half of us had to get back on. Of course none of this was clear given we were shouted at for a good 5 minutes in Croatian to which we returned blank, slightly alarmed stares (except my lovely Greek friend who cursed at him relentlessly in Greek).
But we all eventually made it back to our humble abode. Snacked. Showered. Slept.
And the next day decided to take it easy. And by take it easy, apparently that meant spending 80% of our waking hours in bed. The only time breathed the outside air was to grab groceries from Kaufland next door. But it was also a “productive” day aka lots of photo and video editing to catch up. Monday’s aren’t so bad if you spend most of it sedentary!
It was our second full week in Split and it was museum week. Or, as we would find out early Tuesday morning, more like museum day.
We were falling into routine. Wake up sans alarm. Chill, get ready, decide which bus to catch to the city center. Then, a myriad of activities that all involve capturing a ridiculous number of photos and what I deem to be a shit ton of video footage. And of course, since we’re in Croatia, a couple of coffees in-between. Maybe a quick meal at the student cafeteria, or a wrap to-go from a pekarna. Head back to the hostel in the evening and attempt to make something out of what we gathered.
We kicked off Tuesday by stopping by the Tourism Board office to grab museum passes. Of course, the passes only provided free access to three museums. Well, four, but one didn’t exist anymore so three museums it was!
MUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY
The Museum of Ethnography is slightly hidden behind the central and much more crowded Peristil. When we visited, we were basically the only people there. The museum showcases the history of the Croatian people through the centuries with everyday items like clothing, weapons, musical instruments and furniture.
My favorite part of the museum was happened upon just as we were about to leave. By the entrance of the museum is a little table with handmade glassware and tools. There was a woman working on creating a glass pendant, and she showed us how she molded colored glass into clear glass in the form of a flower. It was actually quite hypnotizing to watch, though it hurt to look at for too long.
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CITY MUSEUM OF SPLIT
Our second stop was the City Museum of Split, aka the one with all the banners around Diocletian’s Palace. This museum houses art and artifacts that chronicle the history of the land. It was interesting seeing old paintings, maps, and photographs. Unlike most places which look drastically different, Split looks eerily similar over the centuries. After all, the palace and it’s QR code-looking floorplan have been around for quite some time. My favorite part of the museum was probably the courtyard. “V photogenic.”
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Last, and certainly by far the least, was the Museum of Natural History. Let me begin by saying that the “museum” is housed in a small…residence-like building. There was no big sign, just a door that we weren’t sure if we should open, or knock. There was no one at the little ticket kiosk when we walked in. We waited for probably 5-10 minutes before a woman realized people actually stumbled into the museum. And then, once we went in…it was like stepping into a life-size diorama. Like an elementary school project where the whole class puts together paper maché objects and uses cardboard and construction paper to assemble some sort of exhibition that will only ever be appreciated by the parents. I digress. The point is, they put GOOGLEY EYES on the fish.
So clearly, museum day was a flop. But that’s ok. Because we deemed Wednesday to be NATURE DAY. Aka we headed to Marjan Hill, the big park/recreational area/nature reserve that lies at the end of the peninsula. It might not look big from Riva, but I soon found out that it was indeed quite a large park after we hiked over 10 miles that day.
Special bus-related circumstances forced us to take the back route to Marjan, entering on the northern side of the hill. After climbing our way up to the main path, we followed it around the entire hill over back to Riva, taking several stops to check out the secluded beaches and marvel at how clear the water is.
Residents of Split are so spoiled to have Marjan Hill serve as their local recreational park. Shortly into our hike, we arrived at a recreation center, complete with a cafe (we are in Croatia, after all), tennis courts, a play ground, and a swimming beach. Aka they stick a pool ladder into the sea and call it a day. It was still too cold to be out in the water, but I can imagine how popular this place gets in the summer.
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Far up on the hill, it felt like we were in an entirely different place. The secluded neighborhoods were quiet and a different style from the ancient stoney architecture I was used to seeing in the city center. Looking down below, there were more beaches, some of the best in town, and beyond, the islands from afar. Looking up, a rocky Mediterranean forest, and ancient churches tucked in its crevices.
We eventually made it back out to Riva, and took a break, grabbing some fast food and seeing the city get prepped for it’s big day, St. Dominius Day, on Saturday. The festive flags perked up the town and I tried to appreciate the quiet before the storm.
Soon, we were making our way back up to Marjan. It was evening, and time to try to catch the sunset at the top. But first, as always, coffee. After about 10 minutes of stairs, we reached the café with a beautiful view of Split. I highly recommend walking up for a coffee at this cafe, especially if you’re too lazy or on too tight a schedule to make it to the top.
Then, we continued up many many many many more stairs to reach the top, marked by a proud Croatian flag and a cross on the other end. Right in time for the sunset.
From the top, we had a panoramic view of the coast, an aerial view of the city (including a view of the Hajduk stadium), and a sweeping view of the islands nearby. 100% worth the hike. Though I must say, bring a flashlight, because it is DARK coming down all those stairs. Also, #protip, if they’re selling traditional Dalmatian sweet treats by the Riva, do it. You won’t regret it.
Needless to say, we were, or at least I was, way too tired to do anything the next day. And the day after, when we were supposed to go on a fun and exciting day trip. Let’s just say the weather said ehh. And we were like “okay.” So we went to Salona. Which is the laziest day trip ever, because it was a 10 minute local bus ride away.
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Salona is a part of Solin, a neighboring town from Split. Here remains the ruins of what once was the ancient capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Established as a marketplace in the 1st century, Salona was eventually abandoned in the 7th century.
Even before reaching the main entrance, there are ruins that seem to be mid-excavation. Perhaps because of its low profile, Solin is really chill for what it is. You can climb around and even on top of the ruins with no supervision. The paths are formed by explorers before you, matted down wild grass and the occasional dirt path, but never a paved road.
If you want to avoid paying the entrance fee, just take the back door. A short walk further down the main street, we took a turn onto a residential street. And at the end of a quiet neighborhood was…you guessed it, the ruins of an ancient amphitheatre. Casual.
Continuing up the faint path, we made it to the main ruins, partially reclaimed by the wildflowers and grasses surrounding. I loved seeing the views of the city beyond. It felt like standing in history, back in time, and looking around and seeing the future sprawl around, bigger than even the greatest imaginations of the time. And beyond the city, the mountains. Much closer than before. Overlooking the land through the centuries, through the empires, into the future.
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