Bacvice Beach
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You are standing on the most famous beach in Split – Bačvice. The beach is special for its shallow, soft sandy bottom that extends tens of meters from the shore. During the day, this is the most popular beach in Split, where families with children, athletes and holidaymakers come to enjoy the safe shallows, while in the evening it turns into a vibrant nightlife center, filled with bars and clubs. The bay is about 600 meters long, and the sandy part extends for about 180 meters. The famous Split game of picigin was born here, which locals and guests play almost every day and for which Bačvice is known far and wide; so much so that the World Picigin Championship is regularly held here. The quality of the sea and facilities has also been recognized with the Blue Flag, and during the summer the beach can host more than ten thousand swimmers a day, which confirms its popularity. The shallows are safe for children and non-swimmers, and the famous Church of Our Lady of Pojišana is located near the beach. Behind today's colorful and cheerful bustle lies an interesting history. The name Bačvice dates back to the Middle Ages, and was first mentioned in the 11th century under the name Butisello, or Botticelle during the Venetian era. At that time, there were vineyards, gardens and only a few stone houses on the outskirts of the city. During the 17th century, a fortress was built on the peninsula next to Bačvice (today's Mariner's Park) to defend the approach to the port, and the area of today's beach also served as the city cemetery during the plague epidemics at the end of the 18th century. The first wooden bathing area was built in 1891, when the beach began to be arranged for public bathing, and it is interesting to mention that women and men bathed separately until the beginning of the 20th century. The story of Bačvice is full of anecdotes, such as the one from World War II when locals, due to a shortage of firewood, set fire to old wooden football goals on the beach, or the story of the first woman in Split who wore a two-piece swimsuit on Bačvice, causing outrage at the time. Bačvice beach also gained a special charm thanks to the cult television commercial for the drink "Pipi" with Ana Sasso from 1983, which still symbolizes the cheerfulness and summer carefreeness of Split today.