Discovering Croatia (I): Split, monuments and views on the Adriatic...

Hello to everyone who travels through Pinmapple and all the articles that we are sharing in this community. Today I share another Mediterranean area, on the other side of the Adriatic Sea, Croatia. Let's discover it.

I believe that any corner or Mediterranean city has its special charm, an ancient culture, built stone by stone, and a healthy, fresh and colorful gastronomy. There in Croatia too, and we start this time with Split, it is not the capital nor the famous and tourist Dubrovnik, now much better known for having been one of the main settings of the popular television series "Game of Thrones".

Split is also a city on the southwest coast of the country, with a similar atmosphere, although perhaps now it enjoys a little more tranquility to be able to walk through its cobbled streets until you reach the heart of the city, Diocletian's Palace.

Yes, the ancient Roman emperor Diocletian established his city here where he could retire after his political life and its walls, columns and facades still survive. More than 200 buildings can still be identified out of the thousands that would have… Walking around, the place also crowded with tourists at that time, you can still imagine what all that majestic architectural enclave would be like. With large entrance doors, marble floors, a Temple of Jupiter and a Mausoleum that ended up being converted into the Cathedral of San Domnio. For all this and more, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

And you have to climb the tower of the cathedral, of course. We cannot miss the panoramic views of the city, from where we can see all the orange roofs of a city that also preserves medieval remains and other eras. From there we direct our gaze to the sparkling sea, to the port where large ships await excited passengers who travel along that wonderful Dalmatian coast.

Or other boats that take us to the nearby islands, small paradisiacal places... we must take the opportunity to visit one. So in the next chapter we will go to one of them, Hvar (Juaaar pronounced by me). A natural beauty and where we will also enjoy a similar atmosphere but with a lavender scent...

At the moment we are still here, on top of the tower, we can see the whole panorama again, including the promenade, so pleasant to walk flanked by palm trees and on marbled white floors listening to the waves of the sea and the hubbub of people in the cafes on the other side. Because the coffee here is good. The gastronomy has many Italian and Arabic influences, and surely more. A lot of history in every corner, in every stone that we can also learn about in the Archaeological Museum or in the market.

But beyond the city there is still more. The wonderful beaches with calm waters like the Kasjuni beach with an unique profile. It has a long and narrow tongue of gravel (because it is not fine sand as such) separates the waters dividing the beach, and being a place for the lucky ones who come here to park their cars in order to have a relaxing bath, looking at the trees and the mountains behind that seem to protect it. A beach like so many others and so different from the others.

At the moment we are looking at the sea, soon we will cross those waters to another place in this beautiful country, full of culture, nature, good food, sparkling waters and inspiring landscapes. And we pursue another unparalleled landscape, as I said, we sail again, to the island of Hvar...

See you at the next stop discovering Croatia.