Who said Split is boring in the offseason?
Over the weekend, I composed a love letter to Split, naming some of my favorite reasons why it is the best place to live in Croatia. While I could profess my love for this city for days, one of my most cherished times in Split is during the offseason.
For a city that entices crowds to their coastline during the hot summer months, it’s no surprise that many wonder if life in Split does exist once the seasons change. Lucky for all of you, it does, and today, we’re going to dust the cobwebs off of the chilly last few days to spark your mind with enlivening offseason ideas.
First things first, the food.
There are plenty of perks to the offseason in Split, but the food is one of the best. While it’s a breath of fresh air to find restaurants you can walk into without a reservation, unlike during the busy summer months where booked tables and long wait times are customary, new winter menus are something we welcome with open arms this offseason.
You’ll find that many restaurants in Split embrace the colder months with fare destined to warm your bellies, and many restaurants in the city stay true to the classics and traditions of Croatia for the new season to give you a taste of home cooking.
Mazzgoon
If you’re looking for some delicious menus to try this offseason, why not take a chance at Para di Šoto, Chops Grill, and Mazzgoon?
Cozy up at a wine bar.
As if you need another excuse to find comfort in a bold glass of red this season, at least you have the winter months to act as the perfect sidekick to your wine consumption. And lucky for you, in Split, there are plenty of wine bars that encourage it.
Take Zinfandel Wine Bar for example, where you can enjoy the tastes of a meticulously crafted charcuterie to go with your glass, and not to mention, the wine tastings here are the perfect offseason treat. You can read more about them here.
Paradox, on the other hand, has prepared an inviting winter program with live music and wine tastings on Wednesdays to ensure you’ll never see a dull winter day again.
And let’s not forget all of the mulled wine that will be flowing freely this season, need we say more?
Take a hike.
Whether it’s exploring the cracks and crevices of Marjan or taking a trip to Mosor for the views, the cooler temperatures do have an advantage. Remember when your sweat-soaked clothes made the thought of hiking in the summer unbearable? Well, thanks to the offseason, you’ll not only have to bundle up, but you’ll also experience less traffic on the hiking paths. We think this is a win-win.
Matthew Christopher Miller
You can always rent a bike for a ride around Marjan or visit Star Village, the observatory at Mosor, if you’re not one for hiking.
Walk up to the Cathedral of Saint Domnius.
Another thing many of us in Split can’t imagine is making the hike to the top of Sv. Duje in the summer. Blistering heat coupled with steep stairs sounds like the perfect recipe for disaster and let’s not forget the lines of tourists you have to get through just to experience it.
Pixabay
Why not enjoy the beautiful monuments of Split while the crowds are quiet?
Take a day trip.
We know how lucky we are in Split already, but when it comes to the location of the city, we feel as though we are located in the center of the earth. So much is accessible to us in Split in just a few short hours, and with cheap bus fare this season, why not take full advantage? Trogir, located around 30 minutes away on the bus, is a UNESCO dream in the offseason. Usually known for its crowded alleyways in the busy season, a table for four at Don Dino this season doesn’t seem so far out of reach.
Pixabay
The Fortress of Klis can be reached in just 30 minutes for you die-hard Game of Thrones fans, and the charming towns of Omiš and Inland Dalmatia are calling for you to eat their soparnik and uštipak!
Advent in Split.
Did you know that this year’s Advent in Split will be the longest one yet? From December 2, 2017, to January 16, 2018, this year’s Split Advent will run across locations new and old. From fan favorites including the Riva and Pjaca to the new locations of Dardin and Ulica krajla Tomislav, this year’s event will have plenty to offer. From mulled wine to concerts, hot sausages and more than a few reasons to strap on your dancing shoes, the city of Split is alive more than ever during the holiday season. And let’s not forget New Year’s Eve where the Riva will host a concert with Mjesni Odbor, Jole, and Gustafi!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=-MRVjhFlYlI
Sports. A lot of sports.
Did you know that Croatia will host the 2018 European Handball Championships this January? And did you know that Split, along with Zagreb, Poreč, and Varaždin, is one of the host cities? While you can catch a plethora of games at Spaladium Arena from January 12 to 28, 2018, for the championship, you can also catch the end of the Hajduk season this December, before they take their winter break and resume in February.
Hrvatski rukometni savez
Embrace the bura.
The winter months mean a lot of bura, and rather than fight it, embrace it! The bura wind, which gusts most commonly in the winter months, is northern to the north-eastern katabatic winds in the Adriatic Sea. Turbulent, violent, and hurricane-like at times, the bura is a phenomenon that typically keeps us indoors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=h0VhNCm294E
But hey, this doesn’t mean you have to be stuck to the confines of your bedroom – why not enjoy the bura from a bar?
