Split down the middle: A weekend in Europe's hidden masterpiece

Sixteen hours of busing. Three countries. Three days. Why? Our trip to Croatia, of course!

Five of my friends and I boarded a coach bus last Thursday evening with twenty-five other American students for a long weekend in one of Europe's least-discovered - but fast-growing - destinations: the beautiful city of Split on Croatia's pristine Dalmatian coast. It's almost a straight shot eastward from Rome, but due to the minor presence of the Adriatic Sea, we instead curved northward through Florence and Venice and skirted the coast through Slovenia and Croatia. We booked the trip with the student-oriented tour company Bus2Alps and drove through the night, which could have been more comfortable but ended up being worth the cramped necks and un-stretched legs. Our hostel was less than two minutes' walk from the waterfront and in the heart of the historic center, so our excitement got the best of us and after a quick breakfast and change of clothes we headed out to explore.

Like much of Eastern Europe, especially in the Balkans, Croatia has a checkered history of occupation, leading to a very strange concept of cultural identity that almost seems to be lacking altogether. Like the rest of the Mediterranean, it was once part of the Roman Empire; in fact, the city of Split was built in and around the remains of the Roman emperor Diocletian's palace, who apparently enjoyed the natural splendor of the area as much as modern tourists do. The Austro-Hungarian Habsburg dynasty ruled beginning in the 16th century; it then became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War I, was established as a fascist puppet state during World War II, and eventually seceded from Second Yugoslavia, declaring independence in 1991. Therefore, it's a unique blend of Mediterranean culture - shared by countries like Italy and Spain - and Eastern European; we saw almost as much Italian as we saw English on menus and signs, and most restaurants offered seafood and Italian cuisine.

Friday, after our arrival, we headed to Diocletian's Palace and explored the unique conglomeration of ancient ruins and modern enterprise that it has become; truly, the city has developed itself within and around it. We explored nearby markets and enjoyed a delicious Italian-influenced lunch - reveling in the great exchange rate between the euro and the Croatian kuna - before exploring the remaining lower levels of the Palace. Mold and moss grew in abundance on the damp brick walls, but the structure remained remarkably intact; but for the presence of some suspiciously foreboding pigeons, it was a pleasant trip to the ancient Mediterranean outside the "usual" Roman fare.

The inside of Diocletian's Palace, which has been filled with shops and restaurants in addition to ruins

One of the ancient ceilings of the Palace's lower levels, covered in green moss!

We rested that afternoon, still recovering from our fractured night's sleep, and ventured out for more Italian-inspired food for dinner. The next morning we got up to explore the beautiful vista from atop the hill in a nearby park, where we enjoyed spectacular views of the city and the sea. Behind the flat coastal plain on which Split was sprawled, long ranges of rocky mountains stretched parallel to the shoreline; it was rugged and looked remarkably untouched, unlike the hills and mountains of Italy which - though lovely in their own right - are always dotted with towns and farms. We didn't have long to spend in the park, for we had to return to the city center to catch a ferry for our island hopping tour with Bus2Alps.

Beautiful Split, with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other

The Croatian seaboard is dotted with hundreds of islands, and we visited two villages on one of the largest: Brač (rhymes with "watch"). We were treated to a gorgeously sunny day, and the water glowed aquamarine as we sailed and beached on the Adriatic. The water was crystal clear - so transparent that we could count the rocks at the bottom and see the shadows of docked boats on the seafloor - but also outrageously cold. Nevertheless, with a little encouragement from my friends, I put on my swimsuit and waded in for a few frigid but exhilarating minutes. The view could not have been more spectacular, with the azure skies, rolling mountains, and charming village in the backdrop. The chaos of the past several weeks in Rome - preparing for finals and the approaching departure from Italy - melted away for a few delightful hours, leaving us refreshed and relaxed by the soothing beauty around us.

Split from offshore

The mainland from Brač

One of the villages on Brač

A harbor on Brač

Crystal clear water!

FREEZING (but worth it)

After another delicious Italian dinner, a brief nighttime stroll near the seashore, and some coffee and dessert near our hostel, we awoke the next morning and left Split with the rest of Bus2Alps for a few hours at Krka National Park. It is a protected stretch of mountains and woodlands surrounding the Krka River, famous for its magnificent waterfalls. Blessed with more sunshine, we spent our last kuna on figs - a traditional Croatian snack - and dipped our toes in the icy river water, trying (and failing) to take photographs that might have a hope of capturing the scope of the scene. Two of my friends decided to really get the full Croatian experience and fell spectacularly on the slippery river shore, which required a quick dip in the Krka to wash off the mud. We all wanted more time, but before we knew it we had to trek back up to the bus and begin the long drive back to Rome. Thankfully, it was largely uneventful except for a thrilling twenty-minute stop at border control between Croatia and Slovenia. We got our passports stamped and stood for fifteen glorious minutes on Slovenian soil before being shepherded back on board and continuing toward Rome, at which we arrived by 2:30 Monday morning.

Waterfalls at Krka National Park

Another set of falls on the River Krka

Excited to be in Slovenia!

It was a trip totally unlike the others I've taken this semester. It wasn't jam-packed with city exploration or sightseeing. There wasn't much of a new culture to embrace or new cuisine to try. (That's no insult against the Croatians, who are very pleasant people with a rich history and great food; there just wasn't much in terms of overt societal differences.) The magic and allure of Croatia is the land itself, which the people have been brilliant enough to leave largely in its natural state. The mountains, the beaches, the water, the greenery, the towns themselves were beyond photography (though I've included some here anyway). After so much intense learning and listening and seeing - all wonderful, all life-changing - Croatia was a place where we could just be, enjoy each other's company, and marvel at our surroundings without taking notes or memorizing dates. After visiting and being taught about some of the greatest triumphs to come from human hands, we now could witness just one of the beautiful corners of the world that no human could ever recreate.