20 great things to do in Split

1. Barhop around the palace

The Diocletian's Palace is the perfect backdrop for Croatia's best bar crawl, a night of revelry in the secret alleyways and hidden corners of this atmospheric ruin. Certain bars stand out amid the blur — though whether you'll be able to find them the next night is another matter. In any case, do look out for Bifora, Planet Jazz, Po Bota, Ave and the Academia Ghetto Club. If you just want to sit down for ten minutes and observe, then the little hub on Majstora Jurja containing Teak and Na Kantunu should do nicely.

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2. Cure your hangover with a breakfast fry-up

So, you've been barhopping around the palace, dancing away the night on Bačvice, and the only cure-all would be a proper English breakfast? No problem! Head to the Bistro Black Cat, an affordable and convenient (it's off the Riva) spot that specialises in quality snacks, light bites and sturdy breakfasts. Those from across the pond can order up proper pancakes, while the Brits get tucked into their bacon and eggs. They also do filled croissants for the beach and... um... cocktails.

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3. Admire some Meštrović

Croatia's greatest sculptor spent many years in Split, and his villa and studio have since been converted into two major attractions: the Meštrović Gallery and Kastelet. The former shows the range of his works, the latter, his remarkable 28-piece work of wooden reliefs depicting the life of Christ. All is set on a leafy boulevard overlooking the seafront. Also in town, you'll find the sculptor's Statue of Grgur Ninski right in the heart of the city.

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4. Savour Split's finest seafood

Suitably set beside the city's main fish market, the upscale restaurant Noštromo is the best place to come for seafood. Run by chef-owner Zlatko Marinović, this renowned establishment gives a contemporary twist to traditional Dalmatian recipes — look out for the ray-fish stew and batter-fried sea anenome. It's the kind of place locals come to to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, hence the informal atmosphere. Bring plenty of cash, as credit cards aren't taken.

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5. Climb Split's cathedral

Right in the heart of the Roman palace stands the Katedral Sveti Duje, once the site of the mausoleum of Roman emperor Diocletian himself. After admiring the cathedral's sumptuous pulpit, for a nominal entrance fee you can make the dizzying climb to the top of the belltower for a stunning panoramic view of the palace, the city and sea beyond.

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6. Loll in the lap of luxury

Take a dip in the infinity pool with a view of the sun-drenched coast towards Split, luxuriate in the wine or truffle therapies at the top-of-the-range Diocletian spa or gaze at the superyachts in the marina from terrace — all of these are laid out before you at Le Méridien Grand Hotel Lav at Podstrana, just outside Split. Easily the most high-end hotel to have opened in or around the city, Le Méridien has given the limelight back to Split after years of grand openings down the coast in Dubrovnik. Oh yes, and of course there's a champagne bar, casino, restaurant and nightclub too.

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7. Spend the day on Bačvice beach

No, it's not in the least bit exclusive or elegant, but the point about Bačvice — not ten minutes' walk from Split's main bus station and ferry terminal — is that it's a city beach, used by everyone. A modest half-moon of shingle lined with a couple of bars (most notably Zbirac) and a nightclub whose terrace juts out into the Adriatic (Tropic Club Equador), Bačvice is all things to all men and even provides showers too.

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8. Hang out with the tennis set

The Firule tennis club is where Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević first learned how to swing a racket. While Firule is still producing champions, around it has grown a cluster of high-end lounge bars, nightspots and restaurants. The most recent opening was Hedonist, a celebrity champagne-and-oysters affair, in fact, in which le tout Split indulged in schmoozing over cocktails and house music. To rub shoulders with the city's movers and shakers, don your best garb, pack your credit card and take a taxi over to Firule.

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9. Catch a Hajduk game

You'll see it all over town, the round badge with the red-and-white checkerboard motif inside and the words 'Hajduk Split 1911' around the outside. In the stretch of street near the main post office, between the bus station and the market, stalls proffer shirts and tracksuit tops with the Hajduk motif. What's it all about? Well, Hajduk are the de facto flagship football club of Dalmatia, most specifically Split. Pitted against the eternal enemy, Dinamo from Zagreb, Hajduk fans are fiery, passionate, loyal — and aggrieved by the recent years of failure and mismanagement. Nonetheless, a game at the Poljud stadium, north of the National Theatre, is a spectacle, not least for the dramatic setting over the Adriatic. Tickets are cheap and don't, whatever you do, wear blue.

10. Dine Dalmatian-style for cheap

Although not approaching the kind of prices charged in Dubrovnik, Split is no longer an easy option for the budget traveller. Nevertheless, there are still places where your kunas can stretch a little further, and one of these is the inimitable Buffet Fife. Set just in from the Adriatic at the western end of the Riva promenade, this simple, homely locals' spot offers classic Dalmatian dishes — pašticada, grilled fish — for the price you'd pay for a superior sandwich and latte to go in London. Morever, you'll be sharing tables with the regulars, at worse, cost-conscious fellow travellers such as yourself. A decor of nautical knick-knacks completes the picture.

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11. See how the Romans lived

Before Split developed, the biggest communal hub here was at Salona, the capital in Roman times. At the unsung Archaeological Museum near the National Theatre in Split, a rare collection of mosaics and everyday objects gives you some idea as to how life must have been like here 2,000 years ago. There are also finds from the Ancient Greek and Early Christian eras, even Neolithic artefacts dug up from around the Dalmatian hinterland.

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12. Devour Split's naughtiest cakes

Set on the Riva embankment but since expanded into a Dalmatia-wide chain of outlets, Bobis Riva is responsible for producing the city's creamiest, gooiest, stickiest cakes and pastries. They should know how to do it by now, having been in business for more than 60 years. Also on offer are ice-creams, coffee and sundry savoury treats — but it's the cakes you're after. Expect a queue at lunchtimes.

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13. Enjoy Split's most scenic terrace

No terrace offers a better view than this, with the whole of Split and islands beyond all laid out before you. Vidilica is perched atop Marjan hill, a steep but worthwhile climb to find a rather tasteful, large café-bar covered in blown-up sepia postcards showing how Split looked 100 years ago. But that's not why you're here. Find one of dozens of outside tables and take in that vista from the other side of a stone wall guarding the steep drop.

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14. Tuck into Split's juiciest steak

It's not the most romantic of settings, halfway up the traffic-clogged main road leading north from the city centre — in fact, it's easy to miss — but all serious carnivores should make a beeline for Stare Grede. At this temple of meat, the enthusiastic owner orders in his thick steaks every day, and serves them up with all kinds of sauces including truffle and gorgonzola. It's not for the light-hearted but locals love it, which is why the owner also lays on live folk music at weekends.

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15. Browse Split market

Set beside the Silver Gate entry to the Roman palace, and the main road leading down to the bus station, Split market is a local institution and practically a 24-hour operation. Arrive here, in fact, by bus in the early hours and you'll see stallholders setting up shop not long after the rest of the city has gone to bed. Once open, and the bars all around it are doing a good trade, the market is just the place to stock up for your picnic, buy cheap stuff for the beach, or just browse and wonder how on earth half these traders actually make a living.

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16. Gawp at a Riva sunset

Split's focal embankment, officially titled Obala Hrvatskog Narodnog Preporoda, the Riva is where the city meets over coffee. As the sun moves across the sky, and thoughts turn to the night ahead, customers on the dozen or so café terraces tend to start ordering stiff drinks rather than coffee. This is just the time to sneak into the Diocletian's Palace behind, follow the yellow arrows near the Hotel Vestibule Palace, and find yourself at a bar called, in fact, Diokclejian. Although somewhat basic in appearance, its advantage is equally simple: a row of bar tables set outside, with a perfect view of the sunset over the Riva, gawped at through three Roman-era arches (hence its local nickname, 'Tre Volte'). Order up a cheap, cold beer and take in a memorable sunset.

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17. Take in top modern art

The recently opened — or rather, reopened — Split Art Gallery is now home to one of the finest collections of modern (and contemporary) Croatian art in the country. Now located in what is locally known as the 'Old Hospital', former home of the pre-1991 Museum of the Revolution, the Split Art Gallery has more than 400 key works in its permanent collection. These range from masterpieces by Ivan Meštrović to Ede Murtić's abstract Sky Over New York from the early 1950s. Works in video and new media are also included, lending a contemporary touch and underlining the gallery's position at the cultural forefront.

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18. Slurp down the best fish stew

Said to be best prepared on Hvar, gregada is a much-loved domestic fish stew, involving potatoes, parsley, olive oil and chunks of fresh fish. Locals reckon that, with the exception of family dining tables, the best place to find this classic Dalmatian dish in Split is at the Konoba Hvaranin. Under the expert guidance of the Radovan family, the gregada here is the house speciality, a healthy, delicious bowl that keeps regulars coming back for more. Plus you'll be enjoying it in a real family atmosphere, with mum and dad in the kitchen, and the son running the bar. A real home from home, in fact.

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19. Chill out on Kasuni beach

While half the city seems to flock to Bačvice, beside the Old Town on the east side, a more discerning, younger clientele goes west, to the two adjoining stretches of beach known as Kasuni and Zvončac. They're not here for the Meštrović Gallery right above, but two happening waterside spots where DJs spin: Obojena Svjetlost and Jungla (Hula Hula). Of the two, Obojena Svjetlost is more of a disco bar while Jungla takes its DJing pretty seriously. Recent spinners there have included Craig Walsh and Nathan Coles.

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20. Have a night at the opera

Although Split doesn't have an opera house per se, the eclectic, high-brow agenda at the Croatian National Theatre includes opera as well as ballet and local-language theatre over the length of the cultural season. The building itself is a landmark — the national theatres here and in Zagreb played a vital role in the development and promotion of the Croatian language before the country gained any kind of independence. Thus it is with great pride that citizens attend performances here, dressed accordingly, and so creating a real sense of occasion. The venue is a pleasant stroll along pedestrianised Marmontova, with plenty of spots nearby for a pre-show meal or drink.

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