This is Split, respect & enjoy: 10 golden rules for tourists  

Split (Photo: Spencer Davis)

SPLIT, 16 June 2019 – This is Split, a UNESCO site, respect and enjoy. This is the message from the city’s mayor ahead of what will be a busy tourist season in Croatia’s second largest city. 

Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara has today published 10 ‘golden rules’ for tourists visiting Split this summer on his official Facebook page. 

“My message this year for guests is accompanied by a poster showing clearly what not to do in the city. Much of what you should not do, in keeping with the communal order and other decisions made by the council, would certainly contribute a lot to the preservation of our heritage,” the mayor wrote before explain his 10 ‘golden rules’. 

1. ‘Pomalo’ (easy does it) is a word you will hear often. This is a town where no one is hurrying, so there is no need to be nervous if it is not ‘right now’. 

2. ‘Pižolot’ – What siesta is to the Spanish, pižolot is for us, an afternoon rest between 2-5 pm. The sun is too strong, temperatures are high and its time for a rest to collect your strength for a night out.

3. Along with ‘pomalo’ and ‘pižolot’ there is also ‘fjaka’. The conscious state and desire to do nothing.

4. Spend hot days at the beach. Clean sea in the centre of a big city is rare. Can you remember the last time you went for a swim in the sea in the centre of a city?

5. Picigin is a game played during the whole year only in Split and only at one beach, Bačvice. We even have the world champs of picigin in Split. If you like acrobats give it a go. 

Picigin on Bačvice (Photo credit: Aleksandar Gospic/Croatian Tourist Board)

6. The supporters’ spirit of Split is the opposite of what pomalo and fjaka represent. Split locals are excellent fans, atmosphere at sporting events is like its do or die. The most attractive, of course, are the supporters at a Hajduk football match. Don’t miss a sporting event and be part of the Split spirit. 

7. You will find Hajduk football club honoured in many public areas. Hajduk is sacred. Full stop.

Hajduk Split (Screenshot/COPA 90 film)

8. There are other things in Split which are also sacred: Sv. Duje Cathedral, Marjan, Diocletian’s Palace. We are renovating them and we want to preserve them for future generations of Split and visitoes. With your help, help us and support us in that purpose. Let’s keep our world heritage together. This year marks the 40-year anniversary since Diocletian’s Palace was enlisted in the UNESCO register.

Split (Photo credit: Bengt Nyman from Vaxholm, Sweden under CC)

9. Like all the Mediterraneans, we are loud, but we do not like noise when we rest. Especially at night and especially under our window. You are on holiday and you want have fun, but do not do it by playing loud music in the apartment because people around you need to rest so that they may be at your service, and others guests service, the following day.  

10. Here we wear swim suits at the beach, but all around we wear usual clothes for this time of year. Walking around the city without clothes or just in a bathing suit you will pay an immediate 500 kuna fine or 1000 if you go through the courts. Why would you want to spend the equivalent of 10 pizzas or 20 beers when you have 30 km of beach in Split to show off your body?

Below is the poster which accompanies the message and shows fineable offences and the amounts. 

(Facebook)