CROATIA & EASTERN EUROPE SPLIT DESTINATIONS Where to stay
SAVE Art Hotel
A 10-minute walk from Diocletian’s Palace, this
property straddles business and boutique. Rooms are big and bright with plush beds and minibars, while the wellness centre with pool and sauna give it an edge
over some smaller properties. Bigger family rooms make this a great choice for those travelling with kids. Doubles from £85 per night.
arthotel.hr
08.00: Rafting on the Cetina River
SPEND Hotel Peristil
With just 12 rooms, three of them singles, Hotel Peristil is small but perfectly formed. A
14.00: Spend the afternoon browsing souvenir, art and craft shops in the palace. Studio Naranca (Majstora 2) sells brightly coloured jewellery and works by local graphic artist Pavo Majic. Oleoteka Uje (Maruliceva 1) has local spirits, wines, olive oils and scented soaps. On the Peristyle, Atelier Perajica has passed through three generations of photographers, documenting decades of life in Split.
studionaranca.com;
uje.hr;
atelierperajica.com
16.00: Pause for one of Split’s favourite pastimes – coffee and people watching. On the Riva, Cakula has Renaissance-style frescoes inside and outdoor seating cooled by the sea breeze. Northwest of the palace and tucked behind the National Theatre, Luka serves some of the old town’s best ice cream in flavours from apple pie and apricot to salted caramel, at 80p a scoop (2 Svaciceva).
facebook.com/LukaIceCream
17.00: From Luka, turn right then take the next right up
Zrinsko-Frankopanska to reach the Archaeological Museum, founded in 1820 (entry £3.50). The impressive collection includes stone epitaphs from the ancient Roman settlement of Salona, Greek ceramics and artefacts from prehistoric to medieval times.
armus.hr
20.00: Konoba Dioklecijan is a local gem with a big terrace set into the original openings of the palace (Dosud 9/Aljesina). Nibble on a selection of local cheese and salty, smoky Dalmatian ham while sipping house-made wine for around £1.20 a glass. Then feast on barbecued lamb or beef stew, with mains from around £5.
22.00: Round off the night at La Bodega, an antique tavern and cellar in the palace’s Vocni Trg (Fruit Square) with more than 250 varieties of Croatian wine. Decorated with dusty gramophones, dryer hoods and typewriters, with hams hanging over the chunky wooden bar, it’s a cool and cosy spot at which to start or end an evening.
labodega.hr/split
few steps from the Silver Gate, with views over the Cathedral of St Domnius and Bell Tower, the building incorporates original palace ramparts.
Rooms are simple and unfussy, containing antique furniture that contrasts with the modern decor. Doubles from £100 per night.
hotelperistil.com
SPLURGE Hotel Vestibul Palace
This member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World ticks the boxes on both counts – it has only seven rooms, each stylish and beautifully appointed.
Some feature exposed parts of the original walls, while all have Aveda toiletries, huge beds and handmade furniture. The hotel is built into the palace vestibule, from which the melodic sounds of traditional Croatian a cappella or ‘klapa’ singers
drift into the courtyard. Doubles from £110 per night.
vestibulpalace.com
5 January 2017
travelweekly.co.uk 61
PICTURES: CROATIA NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD/IVO BIOCINA; HRVOJE SERDAR; STUDIO GOBBO
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