SPLIT - Croatia and Slovenia - page 293

G'day, Gospod: You may notice a surprising concentration of Australians in Split. Many of
them are actually Australian-born Croats, returning to the cosmopolitan capital city of
their parents' Dalmatian homeland.
Getting Around Split
Most of what you'll want to see is within walking distance, but some sights (such as the
Meštrovi ć Gallery) are more easily reached by bus or taxi.
By Bus: Local buses, run by Promet, cost 11 kn per ride (or 10 kn if you buy a ticket at
a newsstand or Promet kiosk, ask for a putna karta; zone I is fine for any ride within Split,
but you need the 21-kn zone IV ticket for the ride to Trogir). For a round-trip within the
city,buya17-kntransferticket,whichworksliketwoindividualtickets(mustbuyatkiosk).
Validate your ticket in the machine or with the driver as you board the bus. Suburban buses
totownsnearSplit(suchasTrogir)generallyusethesuburbanbusstation(PrigradskiAuto-
busni Kolodvor), a 10-minute walk due north of the Old Town on Domovinskog rata. Bus
information: www.promet-split.hr .
By Taxi: Taxis start at 20 kn, then cost around 8 kn per kilometer. Figure 50 kn for most
rideswithinthecity(forexample,fromtheferryterminaltomosthotels)—butifgoingfrom
one end of the Old Town to the other, it can be faster to walk. To call for a taxi, try Radio
Taxi (tel. [phone]).
By Tourist Train: An hourly tourist train leaves from the square at the top of Mar-
montova and does a loop around the Marjan peninsula with a stop at Bene Beach (20 kn
one-way, departs on the hour 9:00-20:00, mobile [phone]).
Tours in Split
Walking Tours
Split'sOldTown,withfragmentsofDiocletian'sPalace,ismadetoorderforawalkingtour,
anditseemsthatSplithashundredsoftourguidesleadingcruise-shipexcursionsaroundthe
town.Myself-guidedwalk(describedlater)coversbasicallythesameinformationyou'llget
fromaguide.Butifyou'dliketohearitlive,joinatour.Thisisaconstantlychangingscene,
but on my last visit, two fiercely competitive companies were offering dueling 1.25-hour
walks, leaving about every 60 to 90 minutes throughout the day and into the evening. The
red Sirena tours cost 100 kn and have a more purely historical focus; the blue “Walking
Tour for a Penny” costs one kuna (plus the guide expects a 30-50-kn tip per person) and is
more overtly commercial, cross-promoting the company's other offerings. I'd pay a bit ex-
tra for a more serious operation, but you can chat with the umbrella-toting touts to find out
what your options are. Yet another choice: The local guides association offers tours three
times daily in summer (100 kn, May-Sept Mon-Sat at 10:00, 11:30, and 13:00); while these