Through Varoš with Dika

This is a small, intimate journey through time, landscape, and gastronomy, woven together from the Ancient times to the present day – where the once vibrant pulse of the city is not merely observed, but truly felt and experienced.

Somewhere behind the building of the Croatian National Theatre, in today’s world of smartphones and cash machines, Dika Marjanović Radica suddenly appears. Confused yet warm, vividly alive – a woman who does not understand apps, but understands people with remarkable clarity. That first encounter becomes an invitation to walk with her through Veli Varoš.

Together with Dika, you walk through Plinarska Street, pass by her once home, and step into stories carried by the scent of humble kitchens and quiet prayers before the small Chapel of Our Lady of Sinj. Through Dika, a world unfolds – the world where cooking was slow, life was modest, and love ran deep. You are introduced to the hard, simple, yet richly meaningful lives of the former inhabitants of Split’s old quarter – Veli Varoš – still living and creating stories.  Moreover,  you get to learn about the stories of slow train Ferata, also known as Rera that was connecting Split with inland Dalmatia – Zagora and Sinj until 1960’s.

Then comes a moment of shared creation – full of laughter and slightly not very experienced hands attempting to make cancarele. Here, Dika becomes what she has always been: custodian of Dalmatian gastronomy and a gentle teacher of life. She softly corrects, smiles, and encourages: “Don’t worry, my dear – nothing succeeds without love and patience.”

In the end, there is no rush, the tour is no longer a  performance – just people gathered around a fragrant bowl of warm soup, sharing something simple and real, and carrying away a quiet sense of having touched something ancient, honest, and deeply human.

“This is not a tour just to be completed. It is a warm human experience of simple living – one that lingers long after it ends.”        Geraldine A.