During our trip to Croatia in the summer of 2019 we spent a week in Split. From this central location we did a number of day trips out of the city. One of these was a visit to Trogir, a historic harbour town located on the Adriatic.

To get to Trogir, we took city bus 37 from a stop next to a mall in downtown Split. Trogir is located about 27 kilometres (17 miles) away, so the bus made its way west out of the city limits. It followed a meandering route near the coast before eventually reaching Trogir. The trip took around 40 minutes.

We arrived at the bus terminal located just outside the bridge into town. After a short walk over the bridge we were in Trogir.

Trogir has become a popular place in recent years. The historic centre was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997. And in 2015 National Geographic listed Trogir as one of the top 10 island cities. Much of it is due to its Venetian-styled old town, where cobble-stoned streets lead to small shops, restaurants and cafes around every corner.

Trogir has a long history. It was originally colonized by Greeks in the 3rd Century BC and thrived until the Roman era, when nearby Salona eclipsed it (post about Salona coming soon). After going through a succession of rulers Trogir was incorporated into the Republic of Venice around the year 1000. After a series of ups and downs with different rulers it became a part of Venice once more in 1420, where it remained for almost four centuries. Although Trogir changed hands a few times after that, it was from the Venetian period that the town gained its present character.

Although the shops looked tempting we didn’t do any shopping in Trogir. The best part was just exploring the quiet old streets and seeing what was around every corner.

There were a lot of places to get a coffee or a gelato. Other streets were mostly residential. Most were very quiet.

We stopped for a drink along the promenade and watched the people and boats going by.

After our brief rest we went down the rest of the promenade towards a turret in the distance. Kamerlengo Castle was built in the late 14th century, and takes up an entire corner of the island.

We enjoyed spending the day in Trogir. While smaller than Dubrovnik or Split, it was much quieter and felt more relaxed as well. If you are staying in Split or travelling down the Dalmatian coast it is well worth a stop along the way.