Another week in Croatia and more incredible scenery and great eating, although this week we have been city dwellers hanging out in Zadar and Split. Zadar and Dubrovnik are the bookends of the Dalmatia Coast region, with Split pretty much in the middle and a gateway to the southern islands. Leaving the quieter island towns and villages behind, it has been a shock to the senses being back in a city!

As soon as we arrived in the little city of Zadar we could feel many more people were around in comparison to the islands we had just left and the Istria Peninsula. Now we were in cruise ship territory and the streets were swarming with people both day and night, noticbly increasing the city population of approx. 75,000 people. The old town area is a beautiful little world of shops, markets, restaurants and ruins and remnants of its past.

Staying right in the middle of the old town we were in amongst all the noise and chaos and had top floor window seats for a wedding parade making its way through the centre, led by the groom and bride who were accompanied by a band, flag bearers and a crowd of guests. We were also serenaded by locals who began singing in the restaurant beneath our apartment at approx. 11.30pm…..and finished at 3.15am!

Sunshine and cobbled laneways in Zadar

Church of St Donat, now a concert venue

A beach stop in Pakustane on the coast

Old town Zadar

The outer wall of the old town of Zadar

Just a few hours south of Zadar is Split, the second largest city in Croatia after its capital Zagreb. Driving into the city before we offloaded the green machine, we were underwhelmed by the outskirts of the industrial port city, and the complex street network and traffic made finding our apartment an adventure! Like most cities though, there is a beautiful heart and we found ourselves staying about 100m from the main promenade and marina with a view over the rooftops of the city.

Taken from within the palace remains

The main harbour in Split

View of Split from the bell tower

The Cathedral of St Domnius

Lazy afternoons every day!

The old town area of Split is almost a labrynth with tiny laneways and tunnels criss-crossing everywhere. One day we made a booking for dinner having come across a courtyard restaurant tucked away from the main drag, but struggled to find it again that night in the dark, even with google maps guiding our way.

Part of the appeal of the city is the remains of the Diocletian Palace complex that the rest of the city appears to have been built around. Restaurants, cafes and stores now fill the corridors, basement and rooms of the complex which was completed in the 3rd century. It’s quite amazing how seamlessly the palace sits amongst everything, and climbing the many stairs to the top of the cathedral bell tower gives a perfect view over the remains of the palace walls and of the old town of Split.

Entering the palace walls

Reunion drinks in the interior courtyard of the palace

Catch ups in the bell tower

Whilst a destination in its own right, Split is a launchpad for accessing the southern group of islands including Brac, Hvar and Vis either by day trip or on a longer cruise option which is how we are going to spend our next week. Our great friends Steve and Belinda have joined us from home to share this experience with us, and to celebrate the boys reaching a special milestone birthday this year. For the next 7 nights we will be cruising the Dalmatian Coast as we head south to Dubrovnik, and if our first night together is an indicator there will be a lot of laughs and cocktails along the way!