The ride to Kastela (suburb of Split) was a nice one! We had originally routed ourselves to follow the coast but have grown tired of the shoulderless roads and drivers here so opted instead to follow the EV8 (Eurovelo 8) on an inland route. This meant more climbing but the bulk of the ride was on lovely quiet roads. The climb was early in the ride but still a warm day so not easy as it was over 300 meters ascent and up to 9% grade with the average around 4-5%. However it was so pleasant to not have cars and trucks whizzing closely past you constantly that we enjoyed the challenge. There were 2 stretches of 3-4 km of gravel unfortunately, some of it quite rough, but we preferred this route overall. Coming down the other side was very fun with smooth downhill twisty roads.
Our apartment in Kastelo Sucurac is very tiny and not in a particularly interesting place but it is close to the Adriatic and has everything we need. We had trouble finding accommodation in Split that would suit our needs so decided on this instead. We had to carry the bike up to the second floor to lock it on the balcony as there was no other safe place to leave it. After getting into the various apartments we have stayed in and securing the bike there are groceries to find, washing out our “sveti” bike clothes (always hope for a washing machine), showering and then figuring out supper. No rest for the weary. We definitely sleep well.
The next day after a morning on the beach here we hopped on a local bus and headed into Split. We spent a couple of hours doing a self guided walking tour of the Diocletian palace and some other city sites as well as walking up to see the view from the top of Marjan hill. The palace is a UNESCO heritage site so well worth the visit. It was built back in about 300 AD by the roman emperor Diocletian as his retirement villa then eventually taken over by the Christians who added or renovated it to their liking by adding many cathedrals. Over time it has become incorporated into the city with shops and homes within the palace. It is quite a remarkable place to see, very old yet still complete. The stone used to build it is white and comes from the nearby island of Brac.
Split has become a major tourist destination, almost like Venice and Rome and is very crowded now that it’s officially summer. It’s much more busy than anywhere else we’ve been. I think this is why we had trouble finding a place to stay right in the city. As well we don’t see many hotels in Croatia, not like in western Europe. Apparently with the boom in Croatian tourism over the past 20 years or so many Croatians have bought property in Split and turned them into rental apartments, driving up the costs and forcing many locals to live elsewhere. Split is one of the places where The Game of Thrones is filmed so this has also had an impact on tourism. This same thing has happened in Venice and other smaller places we have visited this trip (Rovinj) with nobody really living in the cities or at least not year round. Perhaps some legislated balance is needed.
On the second day we took the bus again in the other direction to Trogir, another UNESCO heritage site. Trogir is a small city that sits on its own tiny island, as others we have visited. It was founded by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC (Hellenistic period) and since has been controlled by the Romans, Saracens, Venetians, Hapsburgs, Napoleon, etc, another city with complicated history. Structure and art work has been added or removed over the centuries depending on who is in control. The Venetian winged lion symbol has been mostly removed except for one on a small well hidden in a courtyard. Like other ancient cities we’ve seen it is a maze of narrow streets and tall buildings. When viewed from the local bell tower you can see how complex the buildings are; where does one begin and another end? I can’t imagine buying/selling property in these places. We visited the famous Cathedral of St. Lawrence (Sveti Lovre) which has a spectacular entrance portal called the Radovan portal after the architect. It was built in the 13th century. There was also a fort and a lovely Riva or waterfront promenade to enjoy.
Tomorrow we head back to Split on the bike and catch a ferry to take us across the Adriatic back to Italy.
geeteetravels 
It’s so cool to be familiar with where you are traveling! We also visited Trogir and Split, so much history and such incredible architecture. Thanks for taking the time to share your adventures and I am glad you enjoyed Croatia even though it was tougher to cycle there. Glad you were unscathed, except for the wasp collision!
Yes, great history Tara! Amazing lessons you are providing us. I’m glad you got away from the cars.