Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, the Rematch - with Split in Croatia
Did you know about the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race which takes place in Croatia this weekend, with a third team in the race - the rowing city of Split with its proud Olympic tradition?
Split is Getting Ready For St. Domnius Festivities
The city is crowded with tourists, and the Open Fair is set up along the famous Riva
Anyone for Trail Running?
Round 7: February 13, 2016 at 10:00 - Marjan Trail - application here."
For more information, follow the FB page of the Club, or visit their website.
The Best Croatian Brass Orchestra in Split and Imotski over the Weekend
Christmas and New Year´s Concert of the Croatian Brass Orchestra - City Music Imotski and their guests (Vanna, Vedran Mlikota, Choir of the Music School of Dr. fra Ivan Glibotić Imotski..) will take place on Sunday December 27, 2015 at 20:00 at the Croatian National Theatre in Split.
The Croatian Brass Orchestra of the City Music Imotski was established in 1870 and celebrates its 145th anniversary. The best brass orchestra in Croatia with numerous national and international awards and recognitions. Whenever they appears at the national competition, they win (as they did 5 times already). After 2 CDs, they are preparing another one.
The CBO City Music Imotski often cooperates with the Croatian National Theatre in Split - they were involved in operas Mefistofelle and Aida last year. This is what the two famous Croatian conductors say about the CBO City Music Imotski (according to Radio Split):
"It is my 47th Aida at Peristil. Thanks to you (CBO City Music Imotski) and your work, dedication, discipline and quality of musicians, this was the best stage music ever", said maestro Nikša Bareza in Split (2014).
"CBO City Music Imotski is a cultural phenomenon. It is the first amateur symphonic orchestra in Croatia", said maestro Mladen Tarbuk from Novi Vinodolski.
They will be in Split on the 27th and the day before (on the 26th) in Imotski at the Matice Hrvatske Sqare at 12:00. Enjoy!!
Here is a little taste of the orchestra:
Spalatum Expo: Dugopolje Awarded as the Best Exhibiting Area
The 2nd Spalatum Expo, a tourist destination festival and a souvenir fair organised by Spalatum D.M.C. took place at the Split Riva last week. During 7 days, the Spalatum Expo presented various tourist destination in the Split area, souvenir producers from all parts of Croatia, local gastronomy, national parks, resorts, ethno villages, and other projects, which are contributing to the sustainability of the tourism offer in the area.
(photos: Dugopolje tourist boards)
"The award for the best exhibition area received the Dugopolje tourist board, who presented their gastronomy offer - family farm Plazibat and a cultural program by the folklore group "KUD Pleter" Dugopolje (folk songs, "ojkavica", "gusle"). All that in an ambient designed by the idea of the local florists from Dugopolje Ivanka Smajo - a wooden house with ornaments and handicrafts of indigenous plants from the Mosor mountain. The fair was an ideal opportunity to present promo materials of the Vranjača cave - a protected geomorphological natural monument, as well as promotional materials of the neighbouring Klis fortress and the ethno-village Škopljanci from Radošić, Lećevica," said Tomislav Balić, the Director of the Dugopolje tourist board.
Beaches in Split: Žnjan
Žnjan is a relatively new neighborhood to the east of Split center. Žnjan has quite a few beaches spanning it shores and there are many activities for both adults and children that make this the to-go beach all year round, whether you are swimming or not.
There are endless activities for kids such as trampolines, bouncy castles, electric scooters for kids, an aquazone, paddleboats, and an indoor games hall. Click here to read how your kids (and yourself) can get the most out of a day on Žnjan.
There are a few cafés dotting the coast such as the popular Baracuda bar, which is popular amongst the surfing community. Along the road you will also find pancake and ice cream stalls in the summer time. Žnjan is also Split’s kiteboarding and windsurfing beach during the off-season. Click here to read about kiteboarding in Split.
There are no beach beds or umbrellas for hire so we suggest you bring your own gear. Alternatively, continue your walk westbound for another five minutes to get to Trstenik beach for a little deluxe beach lounging on Radisson BLU Resort’s VIP deck with DJ tunes and four-star service with light fare from Mistral restaurant across the path. For 80KN you can chill on the deck with a sunbed and umbrella and unlimited warm beverages and ice tea. You can also just opt for a sunbed on the pebble beach next to it for 30KN per day.
To reach Žnjan, head east on Poljička cesta and turn right on Velebitska until you reach the coastline.
Day Trips From Split: Mosor, A Hike With A Seaview
In those, parts of the year when dipping in the sea is suitable only for those who don't mind about the water temperature, another great solution for outdoor activity is hiking. And when we talk about hiking in Split, most people usually think about Mosor.
Mosor is a mountain overlooking Split from the east, the one you just can't miss when watching any Split panorama looking in that direction.
With such position, Mosor became a natural option for any hiking beginners, so that mountain turned into a one of the most popular destinations for day trips for people from Split, which is usually good recommendation for visitors, too. It's mostly rocky, and look almost threatening, but once when you get there you will see that all the paths are excelently marked, challenging enough to enjoy it as a hiking spot, and easy enough so whole family can go up there. The highest peak is Veliki Kabal, on altitude of 1,339 meters, but the most popular as a goal is Vickov Stup on 1,325 meters. Scenery is very diversified, with lots of cliffs, meadows, and caves, but what is probably the biggest bait for everyone going to Mosor is the view. When sky is clear, you can see all the way to the most distant Central Dalmatian islands, and whole Split and Kaštela are lying like on a palm.
The easiest way to reach Mosor is by car, driving from Split either to Žrnovnica or, even better, to village of Sitno Gornje as a starting point for a hike. Route to the latter is available here. If you don't have a car available, you can take a local bus number 28 that drives from Split to Sitno Gornje and Dubrava. Schedule available here.
The most popular route is from Sitno Gornje to the top, with the first stop at the mountain hut Umberto Girometta. For less capable hikers, this building is usually the final destination. Hut is named after the founder of Split mountaineering. You can get a warm meal there, cooked at the spot, for reasonable price and in large portions. We tried it a lot of times, and it's a special experience, really good food. Also, there are rooms to sleep in, so day trip can turn into a weekend excursion.
Route to the hut is nicely marked, takes about 45 minutes, and is practically impossible to get lost, but always be careful of walking on rocks, for injuries. If something like that happens, call emergency number 112 for assistance. From Umberto Girometta's, after a break, you can take a hike to the top, either to Veliki Kabal, or to Vickov Stup, or even both. The latter solution is the most demanding, but also the most rewarding and challenging, here is the route for that one. Even if you don't bring this map with you, there are no problema for finding a right path, because of the markations - white with red circles - that will lead you all the way. Full route will last at least five hours. You can take a rest in a red shelter on Vickov stup, where you will also find a book to sign in, and a stamp. On Veliki Kabal you will see a big cross as a mark that you are on top, as well as sign-in book and a stamp.
If not capable enough for both summits, our suggestion would be route from Umberto Girometta hut to Vickov Stup and back. And then you can have well deserved meal and a drink. There are several nice meadows around where you can rest in the clean air, or maybe even play some sports, if not too tired.
Mosor is suitable for a hike practically year-round, but we wouldn't suggest it if it's raining or - rarely - snowing. Bring water with you, and you can re-supply at the hut. If you like mountain food, you won't need any to carry on, except maybe some energy bar, or a sendwich or a can as a reserve. Also, don't forget to wear appropriate shoes, and back-up clothes if you get sweaty. It's never too many times to warn you about being careful, to be safe in the mountain you have to respect it. Of course, this is just one of the routes you can take in Mosor, but the most popular. You can also walk from Žrnovnica, which is much longer, or to take another route from Sitno Gornje toward the top, via another shelter called Lugarnica. Some of the basic informations are available in English here.
Travelling to Split In A Wheelchair
Travel blogging spread like a forest fire, especially some specialized segments of travelling practice. Today we stumbled (via Chasing The Donkey blog) upon interesting blog dedicated to travelling in a wheelchair, called Curb Free with Cory Lee. This great young woman started her blog to share her experience of travelling from a wheelchair perspective, and one of the latest posts was "Rolling Around Croatia: A Wheelchair User’s Travel Guide"Rolling Around Croatia: A Wheelchair User’s Travel Guide". As you can read on this post, she really checked some of the major attractions, and tested its accessibility for tourists in wheelchair.
Unfortunately, Cory didn't visit Split, so here are some tips she or someone else might find useful if come to this town.
First, downsides. It's practically impossible for people in a wheelchair to use public transportation, because city buses don't have a ramp for them. There is a reserved space for certain levels of disability, but problem is entering a bus. There are some agencies in Split that organize transport for disable persons, but mostly for local people, usually children on their way to school. Also, it's possible to move around by taxi. If you are driver, or are driven by others, there are lots of parking spots for disable, but you need to have a sticker. Otherwise, your car will be towed away, and then real problems begin. On the other hand, if you see someone without sticker parked there, don't hesitate to call police.
Next, surprisingly, but most of state institutions are hardly accessible, maybe only sometime with a ramp on the side, but it's hard to use it without somebody's help. Even some health institutions are almost closed for them. Also, theatre and most of the cinemas, as well as museums mostly don't have access for wheelchair. They are supposed to have it, by law, but in many cases this regulation wasn't fulfilled. The best way to check whether it's possible to visit them is to call in advance.
Moving around the city, on the other hand, is not that bad. Almost every intersection has small ramps to cross the street, and drivers will in most cases respect people in wheelchairs. Split old town is full of narrow streets, and there are many stairs around, but most of locations are accessible some other way. It's even possible to visit Diocletian's Palace basements, using Riva entrance. Unfortunately, most of churches have stairs, including Cathedral, and are not accessible, just like museums. Only way to do it is to be carried up the stairs.
Recreational zones are mostly well-prepared. If you like to spend time in the nature, it's possible to go around Marjan and use most of its paths, except those reserved for more extreme way of excersise. Same goes with beaches. All the most popular beaches - few on Marjan, Bacvice, Znjan, etc - have access for wheelchair, with ramps, and some even with lifts.
Situation is not perfect, as you can see, but there are good initiatives to improve it. There are some NGOs which are pressing authorities to make more spots available, but some things change slowly. One of them, called Pino, has excellent interactive map on their web site, with all facilities with good access for people with disability. It's only in Croatian, but with simbols and included Google translator it's still useful. You can find it here.
Where to Swim Nude In Split?
Although Split is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia, there is one feature that it chronically lacks - nudist beach. The nearest official are in Ruskamen between Omiš and Makarska, or within Medena resort near Trogir. There are, of course, also those on some of the islands, especially on Hvar.
Still, if you like to swim in natural bathing suit, there is a solution. It's not completely legal, but tolerated. Or, to sound more benevolent, Split does have unofficial nudist beach. It's on the southern shores of Marjan park forest, western from the family oriented Kasjuni beach, on the spot locally known as Pećine (Caves, although there is no single cave there). It's well hidden among rocks both on shore and in the sea, but still pretty easily accessible. For exact location, here is our map. And it's there for decades, no matter how many attempts were made to throw nudists out of there. For example, few years ago city authorities designated that place as the beach for pets, which caused some turmoil between nudists and pets owners who didn't want to share their family moments with "inappropriate" bathers, but nudists argued that they came there first.
So, this beach is officialy unofficial, and theoretically it goes under public decency rules, but nobody remembers a single case when anyone was prosecuted. Beach is not very crowded, and most people going there know each other, keeping it low profile. However, clean sea and spectacular view from the sea to Marjan slopes make this place worth of visiting, if you are a nudism dedicated. It's not hard to reach this place, by car drive to Kasjuni cove, park there and walk by the sea. By bus, take the number 12 and ask for Kasjuni station, it takes 10 minute walk to the beach. Bus network is available here. Or, you can rent a bike, or just plainly walk, but it will be much longer.
Dubrovnik to Split to Dubrovnik: 2018 Guide How to Get There
How to get from Dubrovnik to Split? A comprehensive overview of Split to Dubrovnik options by car, bus, train, ferry, air and private transfer.
1. Can You Travel from Split to Dubrovnik by Train?
First, the bad news for train lovers. There is no train connection from Dubrovnik to Split. In fact, with the recent cessation of the Ploce to Sarajevo service, train services east of Split on the coast are almost non-existent. Dubrovnik DID have a fully functioning train station as recently as 40 years ago, but sadly no more. You can learn more about Dubrovnik and its train history here.
2. Getting from Dubrovnik to Split by Bus, and Vice Versa?
This is the most popular method of transport for budget transfers. Travel times are in the region of 4 and a half hours, but this can vary a little with the time of year and also potential delays at the Neum Corridor, a 22 km stretch of Bosnian coastal territory which separates Croatia from the rest of the country (more below). There are buses throughout the day, although less in the evening. Click here for an overview. Prices are approximately 150 kuna one way.
We also have great experience with Bus Croatia website, which includes online booking options. Apart from departure times, Bus Croatia also lists arrival times, prices and bus company. A true revolution in Croatian bus travel.
3. Organising a Dubrovnik Split Private Transfer
There are various private transfer options from Dubrovnik to Split of course, from chauffeur-driven car to speedboat, for example. Contact us with your needs at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
PLEASE NOTE:
Private car transfers start at 200 euro one way. There is also a 20 euro discount from Split to Dubrovnik if you use the promo code "SOLONEWS" on the Solo Transfers website, where you can find out info about other transfers as well.
Private boat transfers from Dubrovnik to Split start at 1,700 euro one way.
If you are looking for a private transfer to the island of Hvar, this can be done by transfer to Drvenik, 86km before Split, ferry to Sucuraj, and onward to your destination.
The situation may be subject to change. If you have any other experiences or anything to add, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will update this travel advice.
4. What are the Dubrovnik to Split Ferry and Catamaran Options?
One would have thought that ferry links between the two cities would be well established, but this is Croatia.
A couple of years ago, Krilo introduced a fabulous catamaran connection between Split and Dubrovnik for 170 kuna one way, stopping at Milna (Brac), Hvar Town, Korcula Town and Mljet (Pomena). The 2018 will continue, starting four times a week from May 2, going daily from June 1 to October 10, then three times a week until October 31, when it finishes for the season. Check the timetable for 2018 here.
In 2016, Krilo also had a direct catamaran service between the two cities, taking about three hours.
From 2017, the Krilo Eclipse operates a new route from Split-Brač (Bol)-Makarska-Korčula-Mljet (Sobra)-Dubrovnik. The Krilo Eclipse will leave from Split at 7:30 am and arrive in Dubrovnik at 12:00 pm. The return boat will leave Dubrovnik at 16:00 and arrive in Split at 20:30. You can find more information on the Krilo website.
State operator has also reported the reinstating of their popular car ferry route from Rijeka to Dubrovnik via Zadar, Split, Stari Grad on Hvar, Korcula and Mljet, but this has yet to be added to the summer schedule on their official website - check here for the latest.
5. Can You Fly from Split to Dubrovnik by Plane/Seaplane?
Update for 2017: Unfortunately, the ECA seaplane service will not be running this year as the company has filed for pre-bankruptcy. There have been strong rumours of a replacement service, although we are unsure if it will be ready for the 2017 season. 2018 Update - although the rumours continued and announcements were made, no seaplane service appeared in 2018, and there is nothing concrete at time of writing for 2019.
6. Getting from Dubrovnik to Split by Car: Crossing the Neum Corridor and Border with Bosnia
The opening of the motorway to Ploce on the coast has opened up new options for tourists visiting Dalmatia, and for an overview of how smooth the ride is, click on this photo blog of a recent journey along it. The coastal road, although scenic, is slow, and traffic can build up in the season. If you can afford the 50 kuna toll, then head up to the motorway at Dugopolje, and enjoy the 114 km drive to Ploce. Once there, it is a short drive to the Neum Corridor, territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and outside the EU.
Do you need a visa? Do you need insurance? What has changed with EU entry? If you are looking for the definitive answer to the first two questions, I don't think it exists. In 99.9% of cases, no you do not need a visa or insurance. But...
Here is what the Croatian Foreign Ministry reply was to the question a while ago:
"Referring to your e-mail message dated 16 August 2007, please be informed that according to the Agreement on a free transit through the territory of the Republic of Croatia to and from the Port of Ploce and through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum from the 22 November 1998 on the International border crossing Klek-Neum and Zaton Doli - Neum there is no border control for the foreigners who are transiting without stopping (by using the green track) through the Neum corridor"
Note: the legal position for driving across Bosnia’s Neum Corridor is murky. Bosnia and Croatia signed the Neum Agreement in 1998 which allows for Croatian registered vehicles to pass unhindered through this part of Bosnia. The agreement however was never ratified, by either side, i.e. this so-called Transit Corridor does not exist though it was, until 1 July, observed in practice (at least for Croatian cars).
In practice, I and many others have driven through with no problems whatsoever for years, nor any occasion to purchase insurance. Transit passengers without visas have also not had problems. Having said that, I have heard of two instances in 11 years here, where police in Neum stopped foreign cars and fined them for not having insurance for Bosnia.
It is Balkan rules. You may not need the insurance or the visa, but if a local policeman decides to interpret the rules a little differently... In 99.9% of cases there will be no problem.
My experience of the post-EU transit is that there are now more checks, and truck drivers are reporting more delays, but it has not had much effect on private cars. But in peak season, do allow extra time for border delays.
More current information from the Ministry website is encouraging:
What is the Neum Corridor?
It's a part of Bosnia-Herzegovina territory around Neum where separated parts of Croatia are connected. On both ends of the road 9.2 kms long are border crossings for international traffic, opened in April 2013.
Who can pass through the corridor?
This road can be used by all travelers, both Croatian (EU) and foreign citizens, according to EU custom rules. All the passengers with freedom of movement according to EU legislature (meaning citizens of EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway) who are travelling to Dubrovnik or from Dubrovnik can pass both borders with personal ID or passport, and carrying goods for personal use. Third countries citizens will pass border control by the EU legislature, meaning they will get a stamp in the passport each time they cross Croatian border. Same is for those who need visas for Croatia. Those with single-entry visa once when they cross the border and continue to Dubrovnik, won't be able to go back the same way, so they need a multiple-entry visa.
Considering visas for Bosnia, only Kosovo citizens need B-H visa, and refugees. Even they don't need visa if have Schengen visa.
7. How to Drive from Dubrovnik to Split without Crossing the Border with Bosnia
If you are the type of person for whom 0.01% risk is too much, what are the options? Regarding visas and hire cars, check if the hire comes with a green card which will get you round the insurance issue. It is possible to avoid Bosnia altogether on a daily basis, but this will add time to your journey. At Ploce, head to the port for the short ferry to Trpanj on the Peljesac Peninsula, and then drive the length of Peljesac and on to Dubrovnik. Driving time from Split to Dubrovnik is about 3.5 - 4 hours (208 kilometres on the coastal roads).
