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We are often guilty of not seeing the beauty around us, of seeing only things that should be better – and sometimes that makes us bitter.
Even more so during the periods of summer heat (like these days) when we tend to complain about everything under the sun because heat makes us irritable until we can cool down a bit in our beloved Adriatic. 😉
So, to offer a refreshing point of view on Split, and also a reminder of its beauty and charm, we decided to share what some of Split’s digital nomads had to say about the city and life here.
After all, Diocletian was no fool when he built his Palace right here, and we should try not to forget that. Our digital nomads are here to make sure we don’t!
He chose the digital nomad life of traveling and working from abroad mainly to change his environment after the lockdown and Split was recommended to him as a great location to start this digital nomad journey:
“Split was praised as a great location by other digital nomads on various online forums like Nomadlist. I liked that it is right by the sea and close to many islands I could visit. I was also told people here are very friendly and welcoming – which turned out to be true!
Another thing that was very attractive to me was the city’s rich history.”
During his stay, Florian felt at home in Split, and he also pointed out some benefits of life here: “The people are kind and accepting. It is very easy to connect with others, and there are some similarities with my native French culture, as well, so I felt welcomed and at ease living here.”
One of the first things Steve shared with us was what attracted him to Split: “Split is a stunningly beautiful city with a rich history to be found around every corner and a (dangerously) laid-back lifestyle.
So, after spending the winter in Zagreb and hearing everyone rave about the coast, I knew I had to spend the summer close to the sea and the region I wanted to be in was Dalmatia.
Split made perfect sense as a place to be because, as the second-largest city in Croatia, it has all the comforts, conveniences, and entertainment you’d expect.
It’s extremely easy to work from with great internet and it’s a great jumping-off point to explore the surrounding cities and the natural beauty of the Adriatic with loads of islands just a short boat ride away.
In addition to these things, another big benefit is that there’s a very robust expat and digital nomad community here which is very helpful for both quickly meeting people and learning about the town.
Naturally, and as with seemingly everywhere in Croatia, the people that live here in Split are generous, kind, and so helpful that I’d be remiss to not mention it.”
And after being reminded in such a way of all the benefits of life here, we definitely had nothing else to add.
Rachael has an athletic side to her, so Split was an obvious choice from that point of view. However, there were other reasons why she chose Split as her place to be: “My friend and I had just spent four months working remotely in the Caribbean.
We wanted to continue to another location, preferably somewhere in Europe. Some expat friends in the Caribbean recommended Split as a good combination of city life and opportunities to travel to neighboring islands.
Since we had a great experience with the island life in the Caribbean, but, being New Yorkers, also yearned for some more city liveliness, Split seemed like the best location for us!”
She also readily listed some interesting benefits of our city when we asked her to give us input on that: “For someone coming from a large city, Split is a really good combination of the benefits of a city – good restaurants, bars, other services – and a more relaxed lifestyle oriented around nature and the beach, if that is what you want.
Another benefit is the ability to meet many expats from around the world doing a range of different things. Having this digital nomad and expat community has been a good differentiator, at least compared to other less professionally-oriented locations around the world.
What I also love about Split is its central location to many other places worth visiting.
It’s also great that the strict city center and its surrounding neighborhoods are walkable from end to end. There is also a larger arts scene than you’d expect for a city of its size!
People here are very friendly and welcoming, as well as cosmopolitan in a local way. They’re interested in and accommodating to both short and long-term visitors of their city.”
We were wondering how these two New Yorkers chose Split in the first place: “We traveled here back in 2012, visiting Krka National Park, Split, and Dubrovnik – and we fell in love with the people, architecture, climate, and food!”
And the rest is, as they’d say – history!
Barb and Marques also shared insights on their life here – the way they see Split: “The immediate impression is the pace of life. Coming from NYC, where everyone is in a hurry, every minute of every day, it is palpable to come here and find serenity and peace. It takes a bit to adjust to this slowing down. The climate here is appealing and the scenery is breathtaking!
From the moment you can see Split when the plane is landing until you arrive in the city, you just cannot stop looking at everything.
Notably, each neighborhood has every convenience you would ever need. Once you frequent a store, bakery, or restaurant, it is as if you have always been their customer, and you are greeted with sincere welcomes.
Living here, we feel surrounded by nature, and clean air – compared to NYC, it is immediately noticeable – great drinkable water, local produce, and food that tastes like it is supposed to and is available in season.”
For locals, this outlook on life in Split that Barbara and Marques have can be eye-opening indeed. We are all sometimes guilty of the grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side syndrome.
So having this perspective on our hometown and country of origin is something we should think about the next time we get that urge to complain and compare.
Anna Maria traveled all over the world and Croatia, as well as Split, were also places she called home at some point. Here’s what she shared with us when we asked her to share impressions of her life here:
“Croatia is a truly beautiful country with diverse scenery!
It has an amazing coastline, as well as maritime life. There are many national parks and multiple charming islands close by. The infrastructure is good and it’s a safe place to live and easy to get around.
The locals speak English well and are welcoming to foreigners. Overall, digital nomads can find here a good cost of living, a relaxed lifestyle, and a fast-growing nomadic community.”
When it comes to her life in Split, she has had positive experiences and remembers her time here fondly: “I loved being in Split! A huge advantage is Split’s placement right on the beautiful Dalmatian Coast which offers easy access to many islands.
Other big benefits are the active nomadic and expat communities and a good balance between costs and quality of life. Split is a safe city with friendly locals that speak English and sometimes even Italian.
The things I really loved about Split the most are the amazing coastline, Mediterranean style food, relaxed lifestyle, good coffee, and friendly local people who are all easygoing, relaxed, and love to have fun and enjoy life!”
Coming from Canada, Marie-Hélène and Louis-Michel knew they wanted to go somewhere on the Adriatic Coast, but were weighing their options between Dubrovnik, Rijeka, and Split: “In the end, we opted for Split for a couple of reasons. We wanted a nomad and expat community all year round, a city that would feel alive even in the off-season, and a good home base to explore the rest of Croatia.
Split seemed to have good weather, good internet connection, loads of expats, and just a great life quality in general – so, it ticked all of our boxes.”
They also shared what they love about their life here in Split compared to other places they’ve lived so far: “Split is very chill and laid back – you can spend a weekend just hanging out in the sun, and that’s considered a very normal thing to do!
In Split, there are also plenty of physical activities to do – swimming, walking, biking, dancing classes, yoga on the beach, fitness centers, etc. We also love exploring and discovering old and new things alike. Croatia, and more specifically Split with its rich history and beautiful monuments, was a perfect place for that.
There are also all of the surrounding cities and national parks that are close enough that you can visit them on a day trip from Split. And there are some great outdoor spaces and beaches within walking distance of the city itself.”
But, for them, the winning aspect of Split was definitely the Mediterranean pace of life combined with the good weather year-round: “The way we see it, the slow-paced lifestyle is one of Split’s biggest perks. We like that we can take it easy, and never really feel rushed.
Waking up on an ordinary day, going for a morning run on Riva, stopping at a coffee shop afterward, enjoying the sunny weather all year round, going for a quick dip in the sea at Bačvice,…
We don’t know what the perfect life is, but to us – this comes pretty close to it!”
And the people here are also a part of that perfect life: “Split’s people are very welcoming and proud of their city, generally able to communicate in English, always have good recommendations and advice, are very easy-going and relaxed and patient with expats. There is also a nice expat community here. We’ve been able to make friendships that will last for a lifetime!”
Well… our hometown’s digital nomads have spoken! (Words of high praise!) 😀
And you – what do you love about Split?
You’ll have a chance to answer that question – and see all the ways we love our hometown – at this year’s Split Tech City Festival! 😉
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