By this point on the trip, I’ve been to a lot of Old Towns. The big stones and cobbled streets are forever enchanting, but they’re definitely not a new sight. Yet regardless of my desensitization to all things ancient, I’ve found myself completely taken by Split’s Old Town.

I honestly can’t explain why. I do think that being in Split at the beginning of off-season has a large role to play. It’s like locals actually utilize this Old Town instead of every shop being a tourist trap. And on top of having an authentic charm that the town maintains, it also has really cool ruins (Diocletian’s Palace) that date back to the 4th century A.D. So that’s pretty neat.

For the first time while exploring a new city, I would actually get turned around wandering the windy streets. “Is that the way towards the hostel? Will this lead to a dead end? Which way is south again??”

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t accomplish a whole lot while in Split. I didn’t jump on any ferries to nearby islands, and I didn’t take a bus to the waterfalls. But if I’m being honest? I really didn’t mind. I spent the majority of my time wandering Old Town with hostel friends and settling into cafes for hours as we talked about life.

I think there can be a lot of different priorities to travel. Sometimes seeing the sights are #1. But sometimes it’s the feeling of connection and friendship that trumps all.