Greetings and thanks for choosing Tchaikovsky Hostel!

In this guide we hope to provide you with tons of fun activities, places to eat, day trips we recommend, as well as include some local travel tips!

Feel free to click on the links to navigate through all the recommendations.

Nature & Beaches

  • Marjan Hill Split is located on a peninsula and the entire west side of it is a giant city park with amazing views, beaches, trails, crossfit courses and more!
    • Sv. Jere – Is an amazing hermitage built directly into the mountain about 1hr from center.  Located on the south west side of the park. It has really amazing views of the islands and is a great place to chill.  Also this is a local hotspot for rock climbing on the weekends!  It is located here.
    • Prva Vidilica – This is the most popular viewpoint in Split.  Just 15min walking from where we are.  A must see
    • Vrh Marjan – From town you can see the top of the hill with a flagpole. This is the best viewpoint in Split with a full 360 panorama! About 30-45min to the top!
  • Our favorite beaches – Split is blessed with tons of great beaches, keep in mind in Split there are no natural white sand beaches there are a few with natural sand in the water but most are pebble beaches. Keep an eye out for spiky bois 
    • 3rd water – This is our favorite place to go and get away from the crowds. Located on the north side of Marjan it boasts plenty of natural shade and cute little stone tables to eat lunch or play cards.  It is located on an underground aquifer that bubbles to the surface creating a nice bed of sand inside the water.  Located about 30 min away. It is in the cove just about 200m from the pin.
    • Ježinac – One of the most diverse swimming areas in Split. Referred to as ‘the spot’ by our friends.  Great for jumping off rocks, plenty of ladders to get up.  Located a bit further are two great pebble beaches. Please be careful when jumping!
    • Firule – Our favorite sandy beach, not quite as crowded as Bačvice.  Here you can experience the Split traditional game of Picigin (Basically tennis in the water) and there are some nice little cafes around to grab a drink or a coffee and really appreciate the view!
    • Kašuni – One of the more picturesque beaches with great views of the island Čiovo.  Great pebble beach with a nice but expensive beach bar called Joe’s.  Keep in mind if you continue down the beach you will run into the nude beach section with a FKK sign.  Usually pretty private and tons of great rock jumping.   Located about a 45 min walk or about 20kn Uber away.
  • Park Đardin – Located just north of the old town is the small park Đardin.  There are many events that take place here such as food festivals, live music, and antique markets.  A cool place to chill in the shade and escape the heat!

Places to Eat

  • Traditional Food –  These restaurants are the heart of Split cuisine, rustic and charming they are worth checking out!
    • Villa Spiza – Hands down our favorite place to get a traditional bite to eat.  They have a constantly updating menu, changing day to day written one a piece of paper.  Rustic feel and a true testament to Split cuisine. Most of their menu consists of traditional dishes for a very fair price.$$
    • Kod Joze – One of the longest standing restaurants in Split most known for their muscles and garlic butter sauce 😉  Can’t go wrong with a nice risotto or some great pasta dishes.$$
    • Šug – A new look at traditional food.  Šug is a restaurant with great food and atmosphere.  A more hip place to get some classic dishes.$$
  • Trendy – Split is blessed with a booming restaurant scene as such there are tons of options, with new ones opening every year!  Here are some of our favorites!
    • Corto Maltese – A great little restaurant located just around the corner from the fishmarket.  They won an award for best freestyle urban food.  Everything is great at this place and the restaurant is charming with great places to eat inside or out. $$½
    • Fig – a great place with a small but diverse menu. The best breakfast in town bar none.  Great vegetarian/vegan/gf options.  You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu and the price is great. $$
    • Artičok – This hip small restaurant really pushes the boundaries on food here in Split.  Very creative menu with a traditional food with a contemporary twist. Very professional staff. The aroma from this place always makes me hungry when I walk past.$$1/2
  • Vegetarian – While there are not many veggie only restaurants in Split, most places will have some options on the menu but there are a few that are worth checking out.
    • Up Caffe – The oldest vege/vegan cafe in town.  They do breakfast and lunch only but have some amazing food.  As well as ready made seitan/mushroom burritos vegan pizza and the like. $
    • Pandora – This is Corto Maltese’s sister restaurant located across the street.  It is such a nice little place with plants everywhere and dishes named after famous performers. Pro tip The Veggie lasagna is amazinnnggg! $$
  • Fast Food – Tons of fast food places here in Split here are a few of our local favorites.
    • Kaleta – The best chicken sandwich in town! Right next to the hostel. Huge portions and everything is made fresh to order, even the bread! $
    • Ba!će – One of the most traditional foods of the region is Čevapi which are grilled spiced sausages served in a pita type bread called somun.  And this place has the best čevapi in town!  Be sure to get it with the traditional topping kajmak.(Buttery goodness) $
    • Prerada – The local 24hr bakery is an essential for a late night snack after a few drinks.  Try the regional Burek which is crispy pasty crust normally stuffed with cheese or meat. $
  • Pizza – All three have excellent pizza it just depends what atmosphere you are looking for!
    • Velo misto – Our favorite Pizza in town. One of the oldest in town Velo Misto is rustic, traditional, authentic, basically everything but fancy. They have one of the best traditional wood fired ovens in town.  Jumbo pizza really means jumbo, a great place to bring some new friends and easy on the wallet 😉 $1/2
    • Bakra – Another of the oldest pizzerias in town, except this one was just recently remodeled. Everything has a fresh look but with the traditional wood fired pizza oven it is a great place to go out and grab some pizza and a beer in a relaxed but hip environment. $$
    • Bokamorra – This place is the talk of the town, Bokamorra is a trendy new pizzeria specializing in authentic artisan pizzas.  They boast quite a large cocktail menu as well. $$

Places to Drink

  • Bars
    • Sanctuary – Our staple place to meet with friends, or meet new ones all whilst sipping one of the cities greatest cocktails or a craft beer.  Great place to go meet locals and travelers alike! $$
    • Charlie’s – This is the city’s most famous backpackers bar.  It is ridiculously easy to start conversations and meet new friends. Beware of their most famous cocktail, the Adios Motherf#cker $$
    • Ghetto – One of the most unique places in Split. Everything is artsy yet derelict it is akin to a tiny ruined bar in Budapest.  Cool dj’s, barrels for tables, astroturf, this place has it all. Worth checking out. LBGT friendly  $$
    • Fabrique – Grab dinner and stay for drinks, one of the more trendy places in town. $$1/2
  • Wine
    • Paradox – The first wine and cheese bar in town.  They have quite the collection of local Dalmatian wines and Domestically produced cheeses. $$$
    • Zinfandel – Great for wine, food, and live music, zinfandel is a nice trendy place to try a few wine flights from local producers. $$
  • Clubs
    • Central – The most proper club in Split.  Could be found in any major city. Cool design, decent djs, dancers, the works.  Also one of the only places with an entry fee for guys and a dress code.  
    • Kocka – This has the feeling of some underground club you expect to find in Europe.  Located in the basement of an old communist building, turned into an oasis for creative minds. They have the widest range of music in Split and amazingly cheap drinks! usually a small cover but no dress code
    • Vanilla – This is the place to go to check out the local club scene.  They will be blasting turbo folk and selling overpriced cocktails, usually cover for guys and dress code.
    • Bačvice – An open air club right on the beach. Drinks are not too expensive. Usually pretty crowded during the season.  You shouldn’t expect any amazing dj’s however. No dress code/cover
    • 305 – A Diocletian themed nightclub, drinks are reasonably priced, a decent place after bars close. No cover/dresscode

Trips to Take

  • DIY
    • Omiš – Omiš is a beautiful town located just about 25km from Split.  It is located on the mouth of the river Cetina where it meets the sea.  Omiš boats great beaches, river walks, and an amazing hike to an old fortress. Our go to recommendation for a day trip you can do on your own with no hassles.  Just hop on bus #60 Here and take the bus to the end of the line. Busses run every 30 min
    • Trogir – Located 30km on the opposite end of the bay, Trogir boasts amazing architecture and access to the island Čiovo connected via land bridge.  Bus #37 goes there every 30 min from Here.
    • Klis – Klis is located just a few Kilometers up the hill behind Split.  It is home to a fortress that has been there since ancient times.  One of the best views of Split for sure.  Entrance to the fortress is 60.00Kn.  Bus lines 34 and 22 leaves from here, it runs a bit sporadically so you can check the bus schedule here.
    • Solin – A suburb of Split built around the ruins of the ancient city of Salona.  The Ruins are free to enter if you enter from the amphitheatre.   Also there is a cool place for a picnic here right by the river Jadro. Busses 1,10,and 16 run very often from here.
    • Islands – It is definitely recommended to take some time and visit at least one of the islands whilst here in Dalmatia. We recommend using this site to look up ferry times.
      • Brač – The biggest island in the archipelago Brač is the most accessible of the islands with ferries that run nearly every hour.  Supetar is a great little town with plenty of great little restaurants and beaches.  Also recommended is the town of Bol located on the South side of the island.  One of the best beaches in Croatia is located just a few km from Bol called Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn). Bol is accessible via bus located right across from the ferry station in supetar.
      • Šolta – Located just across from Split Šolta is a great place to go to get away from large tourist groups.  Lots of natural beauty and not too crowded.
      • Hvar – One of the most popular summer destinations in Croatia Hvar boasts crystal clear water and beautiful vistas. There are two main ports on Hvar.  The main one is called Hvar, and the other is called Stari Grad.  Hvar town is definitely bigger and much more lively if not crowded these days, so if you want to enjoy a bit more relaxed atmosphere without the crowds, Stari Grad is a great choice!  We really recommend renting a scooter or bikes and really explore the island. There are many amazing vistas and small villages so it would be a shame not to check them out!  Also while you are there try a local wine, Hvar home to some of the top vineyards in Croatia!
      • Vis – Vis is a beautiful little island with two famous towns, Vis, and Komiža.  Both Cities are beautiful, but we prefer Komiža as it is amazingly picturesque and has a beautiful beach right in the town.  Highly recommend exploring Stiniva Beach.  It once was a cave that collapsed thousands of years ago, and now it is one of the coolest swimming coves around complete with a little tiki bar.  It is only accessible if you rent some wheels or organize a tour or boat transfer.  
      • Korčula – Is an amazing island right next to the peninsula Peljašac.  Known for being an amazing wine region there are tons of great little producers scattered around the region.  The town of Korčula is amazing. It boasts some great architecture that is naturally designed to keep the town cool, and of course tons of history and unique culture such as the Moreška sword dance.  Perhaps the most lush and green island it is definitely one of the most beautiful.
  • Tours
    • Krka Krka National Park is located about 1.5hrs North of Split. Accessable by bus, car, or tour. If you wish to take a bus and do the park yourself look for busses to Skradin and from there you can buy your tickets and take a boat into the park.
    • Plitvice – Located 4hrs from Split, Plitvice is the largest tourist attraction in Croatia, and rightly so, Stunning waterfalls and expansive hiking trails, the park covers an area of 200km2.
    • Rafting – Rafting is a great way to spend the day in the beautiful Cetina River Valley. The rapids are most intense during the Spring, and gets lesser throughout the Summer season.

Museums

  • Basements – Right underneath the palace exists a labyrinth of rooms built during the original construction in 305.  It is a beautiful example of preserved roman architecture and there are exhibitions held in one of the chambers.  A must see in Split.
  • Archaeological MuseumThis museum is perfect for history lovers! The MUSEUM OF CROATIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS (MHAS) is one of the oldest Croatian museums and the only museum in Croatia that was founded with the unique task to explore, collect, present and study the remains of tangible and intangible culture of the Croats from the Middle Ages, respectively from the 7th to 15th century, in particular from the time of the early medieval Croatian State (from the 9th to 12th century).
  • Ivan Meštrović GalleryThis is a gallery from Croatia’s most famous sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. This museum is converted from his family villa on the south side of Marjan and is gorgeous both inside and out. Filled with his works it is definitely worth a visit!
  • SV. Duje- The Cathedral in the mains square of the palace is the oldest standing cathedral in the world! You can climb the bell tower until an hour before sunset, it costs 40kn but it offers a great and interesting perspective of the palace.

Transportation

  • Uber- Is the best way to get around in Split. Cheaper than local taxis!
  • Bus- This is the local bus line website, and has connections all over the city and nearby destinations such as Omiš, Trogir, and the fortress at Klis.
    • There is also the Split Airport Shuttle bus going from the main bus station, directly to the airport which you can find here.
  • Airport transfers- are available upon request