Split, Croatia is a hot spot for tourists looking for beautiful crystal clear waters, sunny weather, and delicious local food. Sometimes, it can get overwhelming for a first-timer to see so many foreigners in one location. Especially around the docks where cruise ships like mine let passengers off, it can get pretty hectic. So here’s how you can get the best view in Split, Croatia from above without being pushed around or brushing against other sweaty tourists.
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After Daniel and I embarked on our cruise ship from Venice, Italy, our first stop on the trip was Split, Croatia. We only had a few hours to explore the city, so we had to be strategic about how we wanted to get to certain hot spots within reasonable time. Luckily for us, going to and from the main place: Marjan Hill, lets us stop by a few other spots without making too much of a detour, saving us lots of time.
Getting off the cruise shop, there’s the harbour, where you can get real up close to the waters, to even be able to smell the salt. It’s refreshing being able to walk by and admire the waves and horizon with the sun’s warmth on your skin.
Continuing to the Marjan Hill to get the best view in Split, Croatia, you can get a glimpse of some of the shopping centers. The floors glisten and it seems as though there are festivals or celebrations that often happen in in the area. If you’re looking to shop for some local fashion or souvenirs, this is a place you might want to stop by for a bit to look around.
When you reach the bottom of the hill, it’s a very vague notice that you’re there. However, if you see a large number of steep stairs leading uphill, you’re in the right spot.
I’d recommend wearing appropriate footwear and water because the hike up the Marjan Hill is no joke for a casual foreigner to Croatia. We found ourselves exhausted easily from the steep incline, endless stairs, and heat. We had to take many breaks. Luckily, as you climb, if you ever take breaks, you can also take a look at the unique architecture and narrow pathways which reminded me a lot of Venice. It’s very different from what I’m used to in Toronto and Dallas.
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The funny thing is, we were being passed many times, very quickly and easily by locals of Croatia. Apparently it is a school activity to climb up the hill, which is crazy for someone like me who stopped taking gym classes after second year high school. It’s amazing what the locals can do.
Once you reach a certain escalation above the city, you’ll find a busy restaurant. In front, there is a nice, clear overview of the city. It’s definitely the sweet spot to get the best view in Split, Croatia. You may find few tourists also using the spot as a photo op, but it just gives you more opportunity to exchange photo-taking so both parties can get a post-card worthy memory.
Now, most people will stop climbing there, and heck, we probably would have to… Until we saw more stairs. Being curious we continued up the hike, but this time on extremely slippery and uneven rocks, which can get pretty dangerous if you’re not careful. It didn’t matter how much grip our running shoes had, it was still worry-some.
Once we reached the top, it was fairly empty, but it gave us room to breathe and relax in the shade. There are many trees and a small zoo. We spent some time at the top before going back down a different route, which we then realized, was the easy and scenic route up and down that we didn’t take. Unfortunately, we took the hard path uphill.
Although it was disappointing to find out we could have taken an easier route uphill to the top, it was still a relief to know that we could really enjoy the best view in Split, Croatia going downhill because we were rested from the top.
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After reaching the city again, we took some time to visit the Fruit Square and shopping centers to shop for Daniel‘s souvenir tie to wrap the trip up.
Thinking of visiting Europe soon? These might help:
Would you hike up Marjan Hill to get the best view of Split, Croatia?
