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  "path": "/2026/05/08/croatias-second-city-shoulder-season-no-crowds-23-c-temperatures-22-flights-28241561/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-08T05:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Lifestyle",
    "Travel",
    "Croatia",
    "Europe Travel",
    "Travel Inspiration",
    "Croatia has been on my bucket list",
    "school",
    "sparkling coastlines",
    "Empire",
    "collapse of communism",
    "summer",
    "shoulder season",
    "Metro Deals",
    "Get deal now",
    "UNESCO World Heritage Site",
    "@sunkissedblonde.travels",
    "♬ original sound – Paris & Lake Como Photographer",
    "Game of Thrones",
    "Italian influences",
    "@nomadicnuala",
    "croatia🇭🇷",
    "croatiatravel",
    "visitcroatia",
    "croatiatiktok",
    "croatiafulloflife",
    "trogir",
    "♬ she knows – spedupaudios ୨♡୧",
    "Instagram",
    "Europe",
    "Europe’s best beaches",
    "Hvar, considered the sunniest place in Europe,",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "Spend the shoulder season in Split when crowds are scarce (Picture: Sophie-May Williams)\n\nFor the past 17 years, Croatia has been on my bucket list. My interest in the Balkan nation started in school, when our form groups were divided by country.\n\nI was placed in Croatia, a place visually defined by sparkling coastlines, sweeping vineyards and turquoise lakes.\n\nIt’s also steeped in history. After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I, Croatia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918, later renamed Yugoslavia.\n\nThen, following the collapse of communism, Croatia held its first free elections in 1990 and declared independence one year later.\n\nA few weeks ago, I finally made the trip — swapping summer for shoulder season in Split and the spectacular archipelago that surrounds it.\n\nWith £22 flights, no crowds, and 23°C temperatures (the perfect temperature for exploring ancient relics and al fresco dining), it’s a holiday for every type of traveller.\n\n##  Best of Metro Deals\n\nGet exclusive discounts with Metro Deals – save on getaways and spa days. Powered by Wowcher\n\n**Bannatyne Spa** : Spa day for two with treatments, lunch & prosecco — save up to 57% off.\n\n Get deal now\n\n**Mystery Escape** : Hotel stay with return flights from as low as £92pp — save on worldwide holiday packages.\n\nGet deal now\n\n**Beach Retreat (Lanzarote)** : 4* Lanzarote beach holiday with flights — save up to 58%.\n\nGet deal now\n\nAnd, if you needed more convincing, Time Out has just named Croatia as the best place for self-catering villas.\n\nHere’s everything I recommend in the city and beyond.\n\n## History in the 21st century\n\nSplit, Croatia’s second city, is perched on the Adriatic Coast of the Dalmatia region.\n\nRich with culture and ancient history, it’s home to the Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979 — and a feast for the eyes.\n\n> @sunkissedblonde.travels\n>\n> This city has it all 🤩🌸 send to the person you want to visit with 🫶 The stunning coastal city of Split sits on the Adriatic Sea, just 30 minutes from Trogir on the Marjan Peninsula. With its Roman roots and elegant Venetian influences, Split blends history, culture, and Mediterranean charm in the most beautiful way. Any visit should start at Diocletian’s Palace, the heart of the Old Town. This UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to 305 AD and feels like stepping into a living museum. Think cobbled alleyways, sun-washed stone buildings, hidden courtyards, and architecture that reflects centuries of Roman and Venetian rule, with an atmosphere that feels reminiscent of Italy. Here’s how to spend a day in Split: 📸 Explore Diocletian’s Palace ⛪️ Visit the Cathedral of Saint Domnius 🔔 Climb the Saint Domnius Bell Tower for panoramic views 📸 Walk through the Golden Gate 🛍️ Stroll along the Riva Promenade 🌳 Visit Republic Square (Prokurative), inspired by Venice 📸 Hike Marjan Hill for breathtaking coastal views 🏖️ Relax at Kašjuni Beach Where to Eat ☕️ D16 for coffee 🥐 Brasserie 7 (right on the Riva) for breakfast 🍕 Pizzeria Skipper for pizza with a view ©️ No reposts. Content belongs to sunkissedblondetravels. Contact for licensing\n>\n> ♬ original sound – Paris & Lake Como Photographer\n\nRecognised as one of the world’s most complete and best-preserved architectural sites, it was built in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries A.D. by the Roman Emperor Diocletian.\n\nThe complex includes a Roman palace and medieval cathedral, built between original Romanesque and Baroque structures.\n\nGame of Thrones fans will recognise Diocletian’s Palace: it served as Daenerys Targaryen’s throne room and dragon dungeon.\n\nAncient architecture in Split (Picture: Sophie-May Williams)\n\nStrolling through the ancient city is a unique experience.\n\nWhile its imposing edifices make for your very own film set — especially in April, when Croatia welcomes around 1.2 million tourists, four million less than August — it’s also a great example of an archaeological site existing alongside modern life.\n\nUnlike places like Pompeii, Split’s core is buzzing with bars, restaurants, shops and cafes.\n\nFor four days, we used this as our base, grabbing coffees, beers, and gelato in between exploring the wider area.\n\n## Food and drink heaven\n\nCroatia’s Dalmatian cuisine is true culinary paradise.\n\nWhile there are obvious Italian influences in its extensive use of olive oil, seafood, risotto, and gnocchi (the region was under Venetian rule for nearly 400 years), Split’s food scene holds its own.\n\nAnd, the best thing about visiting in shoulder season is the choice of restaurants you don’t have to queue for.\n\nOn our first night, we slipped into Villa Spiza, a traditional — and affordable — Dalmatian restaurant in the heart of the city. With just three tables positioned by the open kitchen, we had a front row view of the action.\n\nĆevapi in the sunshine (Picture: Sophie-May Williams)\n\nDinner was a smorgasbord of Dalmatian prosciutto, aged for 36 months in the salty embrace of the Adriatic Sea, and Paški sir, sheep cheese from Pag Island. All in, with two glasses of local red wine, the bill came to around €25 (£21).\n\nWe also dined at an unnamed cosy spot where locals and in-the-know tourists sit together on long benches, sharing food and conversation.\n\nIndulging in a hearty fare of squid ink risotto and beef stew gnocchi, we chatted to a local businessman who offered us a shot of raki and a taste of Zinfandel.\n\nHe told us that the wine originates from Kaštela, a coastal town just outside Split, and that it’s the region’s best-kept secret.\n\n> @nomadicnuala\n>\n> Are you visiting Split over the summer? Then make sure you check out Trogir, it’s only a 30 minute drive away!! 🇭🇷 Trogir has to be one of the best places to visit in Croatia! This historic town has so much stunning architecture and amazing restaurants ☀️ #croatia #croatia🇭🇷 #croatiatravel #visitcroatia #croatiatiktok #croatiafulloflife #visitcroatia #trogir\n>\n> ♬ she knows – spedupaudios ୨♡୧\n\nBut we already knew this — our taxi driver from the airport proudly declared that Crljenak Kaštelansk, a rare Croatian grape, was the ancient ancestor of Italian Primitivo and American Zinfandel.\n\nSecret or not, the wine was chef’s kiss.\n\nFor snacks, there’s nothing like Ćevapi, Balkan minced-meat sausages served in fluffy flatbreads with raw onions and ajvar, a red pepper spread.\n\n##  A day trip to Trogir\n\nSplit’s iconic centre isn’t the only UNESCO-listed site around here. The medieval town of Trogir, just a 35-minute Bolt ride away, also bears the prestigious title.\n\nTrogir is often referred to as an ‘open-air museum’ for its perfectly preserved Romanesque-Gothic, 2,300-year-old historic centre.\n\nWe spent an afternoon ambling through the maze of ancient walls and marvelling at the 15th-century Venetian fortress (also a Game of Thrones film site).\n\nAcross the bridge into the smaller part of town, there are plenty of hiking routes that lead to secret coves and harbours. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited, complete with an authentic, walkable Mediterranean charm.\n\n## Gateway to the Split archipelago\n\nI love exploring places beyond their major cities— it’s how you get to see real life, away from the viral trends that grow legs on TikTok and Instagram.\n\nAfter a day or two in Split, take the short £8 ferry ride from the main harbour to Brač, Dalmatia’s largest island. It’s frequently touted as having one of Europe’s prettiest towns, Pučišća.\n\nBut honestly, it’s stunning everywhere you look.\n\nFrom the charming, cobbled backstreets (where we stumbled across a local wedding party singing traditional folk songs) to the serene harbour, the beaches also have some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen.\n\nBeautiful Brač (Picture: Sophie-May Williams)\n\nZlatni Rat in Bol is one of Europe’s best beaches, complete with a white-pebble spit that shifts shape with the wind and tide.\n\nBanj Beach in Supetar was also a highlight. It’s still waters made for an ideal swimming spot.\n\nAfter Brač, you can continue your journey through Split’s archipelago, which houses the majority of Croatia’s over 1,200 islands and reefs.\n\nNotable spots include Hvar, considered the sunniest place in Europe, historic Korčula, and the quieter Šolta, famed for its honey, olives, and wine.\n\n##  How to get to Split and best time to go\n\nWe flew from Gatwick Airport to Split with easyJet.\n\nFlights cost around £48, with a journey time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Cheaper flights depart from Luton for as little as £22.\n\nApril daytime temperatures average around 23°C — perfect shorts and t-shirts weather. Just make sure to pack a light jacket for the evenings.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Croatia’s second city in shoulder season — no crowds, 23°C temperatures, and £22 flights"
}