Four Days in Split, Croatia | Notes from the Archive
the first new-to-me country of my 2012 inter-railing trip!
*SHARED TO THE BLOG IN OCTOBER 2025.
ARCHIVE / aar•kive / (noun): a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.
Welcome to a new Notes from the Archive post, a series in which I am sharing some of my old & well documented travel notes to the blog. I’ve been keeping detailed notes and journals from my travels abroad long before I ever started sharing that content to this little corner of the internet. For some reason, it only dawned on me recently that, although not as thorough as my note-taking and journaling of today, this information could a. be useful to someone out there planning a trip, b. offer a glimpse into my travel days of yore, or c. just be fun for me to relive briefly under the pretense of being useful — so I figured why not share them here!
If you have stumbled across this post on a deep-dive through the blog archives, hello! I have done my darndest to make sure every piece of information shared here is just as relevant today as it was the day it was scrawled in my journal. I would also like to take a moment here to apologise in advance for any poor-quality photographs. You have been warned.
Today’s Notes from the Archive post — Four Days in Split, Croatia — covers everything myself and my then-boyfriend got up to during our 2012 inter-railing trip. Split was the first official city of the trip, and I fell totally head-over-heels for the place! I loved the laidback vibe, the waterfront views, and the beautiful winding streets of the old town.
Listed below is all the useful information I could garner from my trusted old journal, divided into the following categories for ease: getting there / where we stayed / where we ate / and where we touristed.
Enjoy, friends!
getting there
Here’s how we made the journey to Split from Dublin:
due to a series of unfortunate events (read: our booked airline going bust shortly before our trip began), we booked last minute flights to Croatia through the UK. After flying from Dublin airport to London Gatwick airport with Ryanair, we continued our journey from Gatwick to Split Saint Jerome airport with easyJet, which took around 2-hours and 30-minutes.
once on the ground in Split, we strolled to a nearby bus stop and waited 15-minutes for the #37 bus going in the direction of Autobusni terminal Sukoišan. We bought tickets from the driver and rode it all the way to the last stop, the main bus station. For more information on the #37 bus, please click here.
from the main bus station, we walked an easy 10-minutes to our hostel, below.
where we stayed
Hostel Antonio // less of a hostel and more of a house with private rooms, but I really liked it here! The owner lady was super lovely, the location was wonderful — literally a 2-minute walk from the central area/Diocletian’s Palace — and our en suite room was cozy and comfortable. Address: Zadarska 7, 21000, Split
where we ate
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that, nowadays, I consider myself somewhat of a foodie — but this certainly wasn’t the case back in 2012! Listed below are the food stops I named in my journal, which I am listing for posterity only! Eat here today at your own peril.
Fife // recommended to us by our hostel owner, we ventured in here for our one traditional Croatian meal: Pašticada with njoki — aka, beef marinated for 24-hours and cooked slowly for another 3 in a red wine sauce, served with gnocchi. I’m glad I tried it, but it wasn’t exactly for me. Address: Trumbićeva obala 11, 21000, Split
Pizza Cut Planet // a hole in the wall spot selling extra large pizza by the slice. We stopped here many times over the course of our four days in town, and more often than not we ambled down to the Riva to eat our loot overlooking the view. Address: Marmontova ul. 2a, 21000, Split
Bili San // we apparently stopped here twice, and I tried four different flavours: caramel, cookie, lemon, and pistachio. Address: Ul. Tome Nigera 2, 21000, Split
Green Market // we literally stopped here every single day for bags of gorgeous fresh fruit — be it strawberries, pears, bananas, etc. — fresh yogurts, and many an unidentifiable yet deliciously fresh pastry. Apparent highlights from my journal include a cheesy bread pastry, a sesame seed pastry, and a swirly pastry with some form of sweet nut paste running through it! Intriguing. Address: Ul. Stari pazar 8, 21000, Split
where we touristed
Old Town / Diocletian’s Palace // the most beautiful area in Split. Our hostel lady gave us a very handy walking map of the area, so we checked out the main highlights: the four city gates, the Vestibule, the Peristyle + Egyptian sphynxes, Diocletian’s Cellars, and the Roman mosaic flooring. Fun fact: Diocletian’s Palace is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! A must visit. Address: 21000, Grad, Split
Split Riva // essentially, the boardwalk lining the waterfront. An exceptionally beautiful spot for a walk at any time of day, but especially in the evening when the sun is going down. A must visit. Address: 21000, Split
Marjan Hill // such a lovely stroll, with wonderful views over the city below. The walk up to the top is quite steep, but there’s loads of benches along the way and a nice mixture of steps/slopes. A must visit. Address: Trumbićeva Obala 18, 21000, Split
Bell Tower of St Domnius Cathedral // for some reason, I thought I could make the climb up to the top of this bell tower — but it wasn’t meant to be. I made it halfway up before totally chickening out and refusing to go any further. If you find yourself in the same boat: the view from the halfway point is still nice! Address: Peristil ul. 2, 21000, Split
Bishop Gregory of Nin Statue // apparently, if you rub the big toe of this statue, it brings you luck! Some youths had graffitied his toenails a range of different colours, but hopefully that didn’t diminish any of his toe’s lucky powers. Address: Ul. kralja Tomislava 12, 21000, Split
Daytrip to Hvar // another Notes from the Archive post covering this will be coming soon — but it is such a great way to spend a day!
And there we have it: Four Days in Split, Croatia! I hope you enjoyed this Notes from the Archive post even a fraction as much as I enjoyed reliving it!
Hugs,
Vicki xo
*Date of trip: 14th -17th May, 2012*
related posts
My 2012 Inter-Railing Itinerary | Notes from the Archive
An Afternoon in Hvar, Croatia | Notes from the Archive
48 Hours in Zagreb, Croatia | Notes from the Archive
