Split

High season (July-Aug) sees the old town hot and crowded, with many people passing through to take ferries to the islands; on the plus side, the Split Summer Festival creates a vibrant nightlife.

The shoulder season (May-June, September-October) is possibly the loveliest time to visit – the weather is dry and sunny, the sea warm enough to swim, and the old town busy but not packed.

During low season (November-April), Split is far quieter and the weather somewhat unreliable. However, this can also be a rewarding time to visit as the locals will have more time for you.

Split International Airport is located near Kastela, 25km west of the Old Town. The cheapest way into town is to catch the airport bus that meets all incoming flights, dropping passengers at the end of Split’s seafront promenade, directly in front of Diocletian’s Palace and just a five-minute walk from the ferry port.

Taxis are also readily available and several car-hire companies are based at the airport if you’re planning on exploring beyond Split.

If you’re staying in Split’s car-free Old Town you can explore everything on foot. The only city bus most visitors will need is the no.12, which runs west along the coast to Bene, on the tip of the Marjan peninsula, passing the Meštrović Gallery en-route.

Car rental is readily available for day trips; alternatively, frequent local and inter-regional buses run down the coast to Omis and Makarska.

Visitors coming to Split primarily to explore its cultural attractions should base themselves in the magnificent, car-free Old Town, which is home to several boutique hotels as well as plenty of bars and restaurants.

In Split’s car-free Old Town, there’s a plethora of eateries serving traditional Dalmatian cooking with an emphasis on seafood, as well as plenty of busy cafés and small romantic bars – most have outdoor tables.

Along the coast, you’ll find more modern restaurants with an international slant serving contemporary Mediterranean cuisine – some have impressive sea-view terraces. For noise reasons, Split’s half-dozen late-night clubs are also on the coast, outside the historic centre.

The Old Town is packed with small boutiques selling shoes and clothes (mainly imported from Italy, though Croatian designers are making their mark), plus foodie treats such as wine and olive oil.

For handmade jewellery and etchings of Split’s old town, head for the stalls in the podrum (underground chambers) between the Peristil and the seafront. The pazar (open-air market), selling fruit, cheese, cured meat and bread, is the place to stock up for picnics.