We may feel like a broken record constantly repeating this, but as you all should know by now, there is absolutely no lack of coffee places in the city of Split. One thing we can at least try to differentiate them by is their view, and we’re here to give you some of the best cafe bars with stunning views of Split. From the Adriatic sea to the Diocletian’s palace, we hope you’ll enjoy your next cup of coffee in one of these fine establishments.

Okay, okay....maybe we're getting a little carried away with the burgers this week, but it's not our fault that Split is currently pulling out all the stops with this newest burger infestation! We finally got to try Mama Burger Bar in Split today, located conveniently in Voćni Trg. We may still be pretty full from the lunch so excuse us, but this is definitely an expericence worth sharing. 

Just last month, a new burger bar graced Matejuska with its presence, and that is Toto’s. Owned and operated by two friends Zrinka and Anamaria, their mission to bring a healthy burger option to the city of Split came to life, and today the people of Split are lucky to have Toto's as a new dining option.

Feeling hungry but don’t want to break the bank? We have you covered! With no lack of fast food places in Split, it’s often hard to decide where you’ll be enjoying your next hot sandwich, hamburger or pomfrit. With an ever growing list of possibilities, your next fast food meal choice will be made easier by this list of some of the best in Split.

The occasional summer rainfall in Split seems to leave you with few options of things to do. But fear not! Split has plenty of indoor activities for you to spend the day covered, happy, and dry. There could be worse places to be on a summer holiday when the weather isn’t up to your liking, and we’re here to give you some activities for when the sun isn’t out, and the rain is falling.

First off, go to the cinema! The city of Split luckily has plenty for you to frequent, from massive cineplexes to smaller old style movie theatres. There is a Cineplexx at City Center One, a Cinestar at Joker, Karaman right in the center, and Kinoteka playing independent and foreign films. All cinemas are either accessible by bus, or walking distance in the center of the Old Town.

Secondly, go to one of the three largest shopping malls we have in Split! Joker is conveniently located about a 15-20 walk from the center, or a short bus or taxi right from the center. City Center One, the second largest shopping mall in Dalmatia, is easily accessible by the 18 bus. Here you have activities from cageball to go-karting, as well as a casino and playroom for children. Lastly, the Mall of Split is the largest shopping mall in Dalmatia. The Mall Of Split has over 200 shops and plenty of children’s activities from legos to the twister fun park. The Mall of Split is also accessible by the 18 bus.

Last but not least: museums! Split has so many museums that are centrally located and easy to walk to (even in the rain). Everything from the Split City Museum, the Archeological Museum, Museum of Croatian Archeological Monuments, Ethnographic Museum, Treasury of Split Cathedral, Maritime Museum, and the Gallery of Fine Arts are centrally located and will keep your rainy day filled with history.

When the islands and your tan have to wait, luckily you’ll be fully occupied with a day indoors.

Despite the heavy clouds and potential rain that threatened the city of Split on Sunday, the annual Day of Marjan went on as planned. Citizens of all ages gathered together to attend the final event of this year’s celebration of Sudjama.

The program began early, at 9am to be exact, beginning with an educational walk from the first viewpoint by the cafe all the way to Šantinih rock. This was then followed by entertainment and a musical program set on the stage of the outdoor amphitheatre next to the zoo. For brunch, Marjan goers feasted on beans, meat, and homemade pasta, led by senior master chef Zeljko Neven Bremec. Food preparations began in the early morning hours as 500 portions had to be made!

During the celebration there was also a “healthy corner”, where patrons enjoyed blood pressure readings with the help of the Red Cross, and the Split Diabetic Society offered blood sugar readings along with other educational information about health.

For children, there were balloon figures and at the Church of St. Jere were various exhibitions displaying their gratitude for Marjan.

The smells of pasta filled the air, the tops of Marjan were paraded with people, and the cloudy day made for the perfect setting to show our respect for the beloved Marjan.

What would Split be without art galleries? The people of Split are well versed in art and history, considering they spend most of their time having coffee in or walking through a 1700 year old palace. Because of this, Split breeds artistic talent, and we’d like to say that their taste in art is superior to most.

Tomorrow at the Art Gallery and Tower Gallery on Ulica Kralja Tomislava 15, we have the opening of Izložba Julião Sarmento: As Good As It Gets. Julião Sarmento was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1948. He graduated from the Lisbon School of Fine Arts with a degree in painting and architecture. During his four decades of active artsmanship, his creativity has been displayed in many exhibitions around the world. Julião Sarmento represented Portugal at the 46th Venice Biennale. He participated in the 7th and 8th Documenta (1982, 1987), the Venice Biennale (1980 and 2001) and the São Paulo Biennial (2002). His works are in numerous public and private collections throughout North and South America, Europe and Japan.

The exhibition will represent 43 works of art in a wide range of media such as painting, photography, video, sculpture, drawing, performance, and mixed media. The period depicted will be from 1977 to 2014. This carefully curated exhibit will enable Split and Croatia the insight into the creation of one of the most outstanding international contemporary Portuguese artists. Other participants in this exhibition are João Silvério (curator), Radoslav Tomić (academician), Branko Franceschi and Duje Mrduljaš (principals).

The exhibit begins Tuesday, May 17th at 20:00 at Ulica Kralja Tomislava 15. Don't miss it!

When it comes to drinking wine, the people of Split are no strangers. Whether they be drinking a cold white during a hot summer lunch, or opt for a bold red in the winter, I’m sure they’d like to consider themselves aficionados in the area. Many families in the Dalmatia region produce their own wines, and with the ever growing population of Croatian winemakers and vineyards popping up along the Dalmatian coast, it’s no surprise that Split has more than a few wine bars for your drinking pleasure. Here are some of the most popular wine bars going into the 2016 season - establishments where locals and tourists will find a safe haven to wine and dine.

Perhaps the most popular after the last summer season is Wine and Cheese Bar Paradox. Having opened in June of 2012, Wine and Cheese Bar Paradox was the first official wine bar in the city. Although not a full service restaurant, this wine and cheese bar offers over 100 wine labels (with over half of the wines served by the glass) as well as small bites including cheeses, prosciutto and olives. Located just a few minutes outside of the palace on Poljana Tina Ujevića 2, the staff are more than knowledgeable and the ambiance is set with custom designed elm and oak furniture placed amongst the exposed stone walls. They also offer the largest selection of artisan cheeses in Croatia!

Next we have Zinfandel Food and Wine Bar, entering the wine bar scene in May of 2013. With over 100 bottled wines and an extensive list of 30 wines by the glass, Zinfandel’s wines are delivered either straight from the vineyard from Croatian’s most renowned estates or from boutique winemakers. Their menu is focused on seasonal ingredients with an ever changing menu depending on the season. They also offer an a la carte menu with a modern twist on much loved Dalmatian classics. Located within the palace on Ulica Marka Marulića 2, you can’t miss it!

Lastly we have La Bodega Wine Bar, having opened in Split in the summer of 2015. With previous locations in Zagreb, Zadar, and Dubrovnik, it was just a matter of time before they opened their doors to the people of Split. La Bodega is a premium wine cellar, fitted with superb local wines and snacks of quality domestic hams and cheeses. The largest of the three on this list, La Bodega is located directly around the corner from Voćni Trg on Mihovilova širina 1. This central location is always filled with patrons and lively music. Another perk? They also serve a continental brunch!

Thirsty yet? I know we are! 

Over the weekend, Mall of Split hosted a two day event focusing on the improvement and quality of life. After all, ‘green’ living is in, and living healthy is a major focus point for many Spličani today. The event focused on health, nutrition, beauty, housing and environmental protection, educational programs and workshops, as well as gifts and awards for visitors!

In terms of health and nutrition, EcoLife pinpointed areas such as the hidden secrets to raising concentration for better school performance, using traditional foods to improve your health, measuring the vitamin and mineral status of your body, testing sensitivity to gluten and lactose, and ways to teach children how to love eating healthy.

In beauty, workshops were held on how to make natural cosmetics, learning what hyaluronic fillers are, and consults were on site to help you get on your way to the figure of your dreams.

In your own habitat, EcoLife taught about the importance of familiarizing yourself with natural materials for decorating your home as well as finding out how your homes and buildings can reduce overhead expenses and receive grants from EU funds.

There was also a eco-fashion show and a workshop showing you the importance of environmental protection, teaching you how to compost!

The ability to consult with experts in the fields of health, nutrition, beauty and energy efficient housing was a great success - and many locals and tourists spent their weekend frequenting the various EcoLife attractions. We hope to continue seeing eco events throughout Split in the future!

“Life is like a sandwich - the more you add to it, the better it becomes.” Although the author of that quote is unknown, we have to agree with them and give them a high five as it leads us directly into our topic for today: sandwiches. But we’re not here to talk to you about just any sandwich, these are some special ones, and we are lucky to have them grace us with their presence here in Split. Let us introduce you to Rizzo.

Rizzo first opened its doors back in 1992 as the first sandwich bar in the Split region. The initial aim was to create a menu which consisted of a diverse list of daily fresh ingredients, with the power given fully to the customer to create and build exactly the sandwich they wanted. As these types of sandwich bars are often seen around the world, Rizzo was something special for Spličani and we’d like to consider it Subway on steroids...it’s that good!

Rizzo products work under a framework of traditional homemade bread, a recipe that has been brought to perfection in over two decades of daily production, alongside the customers wishes and suggestions, to make it the high quality product it is today. The bread is produced in their own furnaces and do not contain any additives or substances which would disrupt the healthy product structure. Next, you have a wide range of layers and additions to perfect your sandwich. Items such as pršut, salami, kulen, mortadella and tuna are available for protein options. Of course, you can top any of those meats with local cheese. Spreads are available from mayonnaise, mustard, oil, and french salad to name a few. You then can get very creative, adding on eggs, pickles, corn, salad, roasted peppers, and any other local fresh ingredient they have available that day.

The sandwiches come from cocktail sizes to large ones, and they best part? All large sandwiches will cost you between 15 - 20 kuna, small ones 12 - 15 kuna, and cocktail sandwiches only 7 kuna! Talk about a bang for your buck and a meal so satisfying you’ll be coming back for more.

Rizzo currently has four locations in Split and has gained the recognition and popularity it deserves amongst locals and tourists alike. You can find them here:

• Tončićeva 4, just by Marmontova boulevard

• Gundulićeva 29, at Sukoišan bus station (accessible by car)

• Put Brodarice (Joker shopping center, just next to the entrance, above the underground parking exit)

• Spinčićeva 2, Lazarica building, just across Firule Hospital

Now what are you waiting for? You have to try a Rizzo sandwich today!