Lovely sunny little town

Part of the great Romanesque cathedral door in Trogir
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Today was another gorgeous day so I headed out of Split to Trogir which is about 30 km north. I had a little trouble finding where I was meant to catch the bus. That whole bus station before the right bus station thing was a little confusing but eventually I ended up at the right place, and the right stop and got on a bus to Trogir. It's really well served by public transport and there are three buses an hour for most of the day (leaving on the hour, 20 past and 20 to). It took about an hour to get out there and cost 19 kn (you can buy a ticket from the driver or the conductor on the bus). It was quite a pleasant trip as you go through lots of little villages on the way.

Another part of the Cathedral portal
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Trogir bus station is right next to the old town so it's easy to get to. You cross a little bridge over the marina to get into the old town. The town is only partially surrounded by a wall as it has been incorporated into the buildings over time. Most of the buildings are from the 13-15th centuries and they are in pretty good condition. It is like a little version of Split really only with less tourists.

I got into the cathedral just in time as it closes at 11.30 during the off season. Unfortunately that meant that I didn't get a chance to see inside the treasury that is meant to be worth a visit. The church has a spectacular Romanesque entry portal that is carved and looks fabulous. It has lions and saints and Adam and Eve and lots of weird animals. It must have taken years to complete. The inside of the church is a mix of styles with some definitely Gothic sections and then a marvelous Baroque tomb with lots of fat angels (including one that was flashing to the onlookers). The tomb is of one of the bishops and clearly he didn't take a vow of humility.

Side street in Trogir
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Next door to the cathedral (which I was rapidly hastened out of at 11.30 on the dot) is the town hall which is gothic and quite pretty. Down the little street next to it is the Church of St John the Baptist which unfortunately wasn't open. It didn't have any signs on the door saying when it was either. The doorway is quite beautiful and is Romanesque like the cathedral. From there I just wandered down the narrow streets of the town having a look around until I reached the promenade on the waterfront. It is like a little version of the one in Split.

Another church on the waterfront in Trogir
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On the waterfront is one of the local primary schools in a lovely Gothic building. You can bet the kids don't appreciate it at all. I continued down the waterfront past another church that also wasn't open to the fortress. It used to be connected to the city walls but they no longer exist. The tower is now used for performances and an outdoor movie theatre during the summer. It was 15 kuna to get in but there are good views from the top of the tower. It was a little creepy climbing it by myself as there are heaps of pigeons living in there and they were making funny noises and flapping about in the darkness. The stairs are also not the best which doesn't help when you are like me and like your surfaces solid.

The fortress from the 15th century
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After the tower, I headed back along the promenade and went to Fontana Restaurant for lunch. The service was excellent, the food the best that I've had so far in Croatia and the setting very pleasant. I had to force myself to get up and leave as I could have sat in the sun for the whole afternoon. I wandered a little more before heading back to the bus station (via the Konzum to get some stuff for dinner and the bus tomorrow) to catch the bus back to Split. The buses back also leave every 20 minutes. They are meant to go at 10 past, half past and 10 to but the timetable seems to be a little flexible depending on whether the driver wants a cigarette or not.

Inside the fortress
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It was well worth the trip out to Trogir. I don't know that I would bother staying out there unless I was going to the beach or boating but it was a pleasant and easy day trip from Split. I imagine that it isn't so peaceful though in the summer when they have lots of their own tourists as well as the day trippers from Split.