The Beautiful Town of Trogir

We travelled from Dubrovnik to Split by bus. it was quite comfortable, and air conditioned (keeping in mind that the air con can only do so much when it is 37 degrees celsius outside!), and only cost about $22 Canadian each. The trip took about 5.5 hours because of all the stops along the way.

Side note: When we were in a taxi going to the bus station we saw one of those electronic speed limit signs that tells you how fast you are going. Our taxi driver was speeding so there was a large image of a sad face underneath his speed. I thought that was quite effective 😀

When I chose Trogir as a place to base ourselves, I was in a dilemma whether to stay in Split or Trogir. Ultimately, I ended up choosing Trogir because the apartments were more affordable. When our bus stopped in Split (about 30 minutes before Trogir) I was glad I didn't choose Split. It is a big, busy, crowded city. It was nothing like clean Dubrovnik. There was graffiti everywhere. I'm not sure what the city is doing to keep Dubrovnik clean, but whatever it is they should tell everyone else (AKA my hometown!)

When we arrived in Trogir, our host picked us up at the bus station and took us to our lovely apartment. It was way nicer than it looked in the photos (such a pleasant surprise when that happens!) and had a beautiful view off the balcony!

We've gotten a bit lazy while we are here. It has been quite warm, so we've wandered around the town quite a bit... but also spent an inordinate amount of time lazing about... it's hard not to when this is your view!

We also found a little swimming place (which our host calls "the beach"), which is rocks and ladders to ease your entry into the ocean. I LOVED swimming here, especially under the moonlight!

As usual, the steps down to the beach were what I like to call "historical steps".

The historic city of Trogir is located on a small island. It was founded sometime in the 3rd century B.C., and has changed rule many times over the years. It has now been part of Croatia since 1991. It was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997. It has city gates and walls, a fortress, a palace and 10 churches, among quite a few shops and restaurants. Not bad for an island that is quite small in size. (I can't find the actual area of it, but we can easily walk across it in less than 5 minutes).

This is the historical center that you can see across the water:

There is a nice marina on our side where you can see yachts and lots of sailing charters.

There's even an Irish Pub. It doesn't actually say "Irish" on the sign, but the shamrock is a dead giveaway 😉 I have a sneaking suspicion that there aren't too many Irish Pubs in the world that are on an actual boat!

Once you get on to the island of Trogir it seems to be a pedestrian town (with the exception of the road that circles the outside of the island). This does not however stop scooters from driving down the cobblestone pedestrian streets.

One of my favourite things to do is just walk the streets and admire the beautiful buildings and streets.

In the town square you can see the Cathedral of St. Lawrence, which has intricate carvings around its main door and a tall bell tower that they started constructing in the 13th century. You need to pay a fee to go in the Cathedral (equal to about $5 Canadian), and we figured we've seen enough churches this trip, so didn't go in.

To the left of the church is an outdoor area with benches and a short wall all the way around. This is where we (and many others) brought our lunch to eat. I had an interesting interaction with a little girl (about 3 years old) who didn't speak English, but wanted me to collude with her to hide her mom's cellphone. In case you're curious, I did collude with her, while secretly telling her mom where her phone was 😉

I'm not sure how Steve managed to get a photo with no one else in it, the square was packed with people almost the entire time we were there!

Across the square from the cathedral was the "Town Loggia". I am not exactly sure of its original purpose...perhaps political meetings or judicial events?

It's current use appears to be mostly for photo opportunities and children to run around in circles 😀

The actual square is filled up with restaurant tables. The prices of food aren't too bad, but for some reason the drinks are quite expensive here... even a 20 cL iced tea is usually equivalent to $5 Canadian! That is not just in the sqaure, everywhere we've been so far in Croatia has been similar.

The palace I mentioned earlier, is the Cipiko Palace. I noticed it while I was eating lunch, but just assumed it was some government offices. I think that it was originally built in the 13th century and owned by a wealthy family in Trogir.

We have enjoyed just ambling around Trogir and looking at the beautiful buildings and streets. I think most people come here on day trips from Split... but based on what we have seen of Split so far, we are very glad we chose Trogir!