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Split’s main selling point in the brochure is the Diocletian Palace but it seems to be the hub for everything in the area. You can go on trips to the Krka waterfalls or Plitvice lakes (which is what I did). Plus there are the nearby islands of Hvar, Brac and Vis
Split is also one of the oldest cities in the area, and is traditionally considered just over 1,700 years old.
Split is very much a beach destination and doesn’t seem to attract the normal backpacker community. Most of the residents of the hostel had suitcases and spent the day on the beach and the night in the clubs. I’m not one for sunbathing but took advantage of the nightlife!!
On my second morning I was up at 05:00 to go on a trip to Plitvice lakes, but after waiting an hour, realised that my bus wasn’t coming for me. When I went to the travel agents from where I booked it they said that there hadn’t been enough people to run it and didn’t have my phone number to contact me!!
The staff at the hostel were really friendly (Aussies unsurprisingly) and made an effort to
get everyone involved in the action, which is how I found myself in a drinking game with 5 nurses from Ireland and 4 Aussie girls one evening. After losing several rounds we then hit the clubs, most of the nightlife is located near the beach and we all had a great night. I can’t remember much but woke up with some fractured ribs (I still can’t sleep on one side a month later) a broken toe-nail and wearing far too much lipstick!! I didn’t get in until 05:00 in the morning despite waking up 24 hours earlier.
I woke up with a hangover at 13:00 and decided to take the bus to nearby Trogir which is another quaint fortressed old town.
On my last day of my trip I at last visited Plitvice lakes, which is what I was looking forward to more than anything else. The lakes were amazing but despite the tour lasting 12 hours we only in the park for 3 hours and I would have liked to spend longer there.
I’ve copied the info below from Wikitravel on Plitvice:
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and
the largest national park in Croatia. The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The national park is world famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, 16 lakes can be seen from the surface. These lakes are a result of the confluence of several small rivers and subterranean karst rivers. The lakes are all interconnected and follow the water flow. They are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The particularly sensitive travertine barriers are the result of an interplay between water, air and plants. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year.
The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 to 503 m (2,087 to 1,650 ft) over a distance of some eight km, aligned in a south-north direction. The lakes collectively cover an area of about two square kilometers, with the water exiting from
the lowest lake forming the Korana River.
The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colours change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
Through different climatic influences and the large difference in elevation within the protected area, a multifaceted flora and fauna has been created. The national park area is home to many endemic species. Those species that prevailed at the lakes before the arrival of man still exist.
For the trip I was with my new chum Beatrice from Brazil and although we had to stop at a ropey restaurant they did have some brown bears there, which partly made up for it.
As with everywhere else in the region the lakes were also affected by the war, in fact the first Croatian casualty of the war occurred in the lakes, one of the rangers was shot by Serbian forces as this was one of the first places the troops invaded.
So that’s it for my latest trip but I’m back to the Balkans soon to visit the southern countries:-)
Boring
bits
If you’re a backpacker travelling solo, its a nightmare to get to Plitvice lakes. You have to stay overnight before visiting the lakes (because of the bus times from Split), and the only accommodation there is in guesthouses with double rooms or a campsite. Additionally its tricky to get transport from the guesthouses to the park entrances. Its also tricky to get a bus from Plitvice to the lakes (they don’t stop if they are full). So if you’re backpacking solo and don’t have your car then the best way would be on a day trip from Zadar rather than Split as you would have more time for the park itself, I spent 7 hours travelling to get there and back from Split on the tour with Adriatic4you.
Don’t do the tour with Atlas on every Tuesday (as I originally did) as they often cancel. The tour with Adriatic4you – every Thursday always run. However they have the usual tour con where they take you to a restaurant where they have their meals free. This time would have been much better spent inside the park plus there are plenty of places to eat in the park.
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David Tasker
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Happy Travelling
As always I find your travel blogs interesting - what a coincidence - we have other friends travelling to many of the places you have been. They sent photographs of Bled and a superb campground (with cabins) where they hire bikes for a few days - beautiful country - I was thinking I should contact you and ask if you would be interested sometime in visiting that part of the world - and there you are. Regards David T