If Croatia has an early digital nomad capital, then it has to be Split!
Alive with coworking, meetups, and everything else it has to offer, Split has undergone an incredible transformation in the last decade.
Coworking (Updated 2022)
Split has multiple coworking spaces to bring you something close in proximity or preferences:
The Works is 24/7 full amenities, large coworking space, a more relaxed area and meeting or call rooms. It’s located just near Firule neighbourhood. It’s run by Tamara, another coworking pioneer and formerly of Remote Year.
SmartSpace is based in the centre with limited spaces and can be booked for workshops and exhibitions. Get in touch in advance to make sure there’s space!
Scaleup Office Split offers everything a modern coworker needs, such as private and shared offices, meeting rooms, events and workshop space. It is located in the Split 3 district, close to the university campus and many local restaurants, cafés and bars.
Community
Split boasts a well developed expat and semi nomadic community. It also has an amazing and constantly growing tech and startup scene, all with excellent English speaking skills. Here’s an expat page, the local tech community, all the meetups happening in Split and the Digital Nomads community.
If you’ve had enough of the coworking space or your apartment, a number of work friendly and smoke free places have popped up around Split. Try D16, Galerija, Kava 2 or Teak, or head to Daltonist if you want to work something a bit stronger like a craft beer or cocktail.
Outside of the office there are plenty of things to keep you fit, creative and entertained. Check out the events by Klub Zona, ranging from circus acts, art galleries, craft fairs and a lot more. Keep an eye out in the aforementioned Digital Nomad and Expat Facebook groups too.
When the weekend comes, you’re spoilt for choice quite honestly, just like everywhere in Croatia. It could be a short walk around Marjan with coffee by the sea or a river walk to Žrnovnica, a day trip to one of the islands, perhaps a hike up nearby mountains Kozjak or Mosor, or exploring a bit further inland to places like Sinj or Imotski, or up the coast to Trogir or Šibenik. Drop us a message on Facebook if you’re short of ideas!
Living
Whether you’d prefer to live near a coworking space, or a bit further out, check what’s available on DNA Stay, our dedicated longer term rental website for digital nomads.
Split has a few laundromats, but be careful when searching as some of them are for hotels. Check out Modrulj in the centre or Music Laundry a little further out. There are a couple of self-service ones near the green market, but swing by there before taking your laundry to check their open!
The city market is the best place to buy your groceries, and we always recommend buying regularly and building up a rapport, learning a bit of Croatian along the way. If you don’t want to leave home then you can also order through Glovo or Wolt.
Connectivity
Being fairly down south, Split provides you with a gateway to all Croatian cities. There’s also the islands to the east and then Bosnia and Dubrovnik the other direction. This means it’s a great place to start and finish your digital nomad journey. If you’re looking to visit any of these places then check out what Flixbus has to offer.
Connected by ferry and catamaran to the islands of Korčula, Hvar, Brač, Šolta and Vis, Split is also 3.5 hours from Dubrovnik and Zagreb by car, or if you don’t have one then check out BlaBlaCar.
Don’t forget the amazing hinterland of inland Dalmatia either– culture, nature, mountains and incredible hospitality just 30 minutes away by bus.
Split Airport now boasts flights from more than 100 destinations half of the year and national flights all year round.
A few other facts:
- Diocletian’s Palace is the main tourist attraction and was built as a retirement home for a Roman Emperor, Diocletian, in 325 AD.
- Split is a sporting city, home of tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic, and boasts more Olympic medals per capita than any city in the world.
- Split has its own World Championship – the curious game of Picigin. Imagine grown men in speedos throwing themselves in the air to keep a small ball dry.
Festivals worth checking out:
- Feast of St Domnius, the Patron Saint of Split on May 7.
- The Split Summer Festival from May to October
- Days of Diocletian in August
