Split or Verona?

Split's life is built around the water. The Adriatic is a short walk from the palace, Bačvice has shallow sand and the local ball game picigin, and the pine-shaded coves around Marjan have deeper water. Ferries to Brač, Šolta and Hvar add longer beaches, though most of the city's shore is pebble or concrete and it fills up in high summer.

Verona has no coast, so swimming means Lake Garda, about half an hour away at Peschiera, Lazise or Sirmione's flat limestone shelves. The fresh water is calm, with lidos and lawns rather than coves, and it works as an outing rather than a daily routine.

Both kitchens are regional and rooted in tradition, but Verona's goes further. Its osterie around Piazza delle Erbe and in Veronetta serve Amarone risotto, bigoli with duck and bollito with pearà. The Valpolicella, Soave and Bardolino vineyards are a short drive away, which makes the evening glass at a counter a real part of the trip.

Split's strength is the sea: grilled fish, black risotto and octopus under the peka, with Plavac Mali or Pošip alongside. The best tables are in the konobas of Varoš, and the fish and green markets are worth a morning, but the range is narrower and winter is quiet.

Split has one great sight, and it is a remarkable one. Diocletian's Palace is a Roman emperor's residence that people still live in, with the cathedral set in his mausoleum and the vaulted substructures below. Add the Meštrović Gallery and the list is soon done.

Verona builds far more on its Roman base. Beside the Arena and the Roman theatre are the Scaliger tombs, the Romanesque basilica of San Zeno, Gothic Sant'Anastasia and Castelvecchio's art collection in Scarpa's setting. That is enough for two or three unhurried days rather than a quick circuit.

In summer, nights in Split go later and louder. The palace alleys fill with small bars and people drinking on the steps, and the beach bars and clubs around Bačvice keep a younger crowd out into the early hours. Most of this fades from October.

Verona's evening centres on the aperitivo, a spritz or a glass of Valpolicella in Piazza delle Erbe or by the river, and Veronetta's student bars are the liveliest late option. There is no dance scene in the centre, and outside opera nights the streets empty early.

Split has mountains and sea right on its doorstep. Marjan's pine forest and cliffs are a walk from the palace, Mosor and Kozjak have real ridge hikes, and the Cetina canyon at Omiš and the islands add rafting, kayaking and sailing.

Close to Verona, the outdoors is gentler, with vineyard walks and cycling in the Valpolicella and the long Adige cycle route north. The bigger landscapes are about an hour away: Monte Baldo above Garda, the windsurfing waters at the lake's northern end and the gorges of the Lessinia plateau.

Split's days out follow the coast and the ferry routes. Trogir's island core and Šibenik's cathedral, both UNESCO-listed, are within an hour, while Salona's Roman ruins and Klis Fortress sit on the edge of the city. Boats also run to Hvar, Brač and Vis. In summer these trips are simple, but in winter the boats take more planning.

From Verona the choice is wider, and the trains do most of the work. Venice is a little over an hour away, Vicenza, Padua and Mantua are closer, and Bologna or Milan fit into a longer day. The Garda towns and the Valpolicella and Soave wine country are nearer still, so one week can take in art cities, lake harbours and cellar visits in a way Split's coast cannot match.

Verona has the attractions built for children that Split lacks. Gardaland, the water parks on Garda's southern shore and the Parco Natura Viva safari zoo are all about half an hour away, though most need a car or a transfer.

Split's appeal for children is simpler: shallow water at Bačvice, room to run on Marjan and a ferry ride that often turns out to be the highlight. There is no theme park or aquarium worth the name, and July and August bring heavy heat and crowded beaches.

Both centres are made for walking, and neither needs a car in town. Split's palace, Riva and Bačvice are close together, but its lanes are polished stone and full of steps. Verona's centre inside the river loop is flat and largely closed to traffic.

The real difference is in getting out of town. Split's ferry port, bus station and railway station sit together at the harbour, which makes island trips easy. Verona relies on its rail line to Venice, Milan and the lake. In both, a car helps for the hills and trailheads.

Verona has more to browse. Via Mazzini carries Italian fashion and accessory labels on a marble-paved street, and Corso Porta Borsari has boutiques, jewellers and shoe shops. Even so, Milan remains the place for serious shopping.

Split's palace shops lean towards lavender, coral, ties and souvenirs, with the chain stores on Marmontova. Its best browsing is at the Pazar market. In both cities, the things most worth taking home are local wine and olive oil.

Neither city is a bargain, and they end up costing about the same in different ways. Split's prices swing with the season. Rooms near the old town are steep in midsummer and fish sold by weight adds up, but May, June, late September and winter are much kinder.

Verona's main cost is a central hotel, especially on opera nights and during the big trade fairs. Everyday eating in Veronetta's osterie and at wine counters stays fair. Staying near the station or across the river helps, much as staying outside the old town does in Split.

This is where Verona pulls clearly ahead. Opera in the Roman Arena, with Verdi and Puccini performed to thousands on the stone tiers through the summer, is worth planning a trip around. The Roman theatre's festival of Shakespeare, dance and jazz adds to it, and the Teatro Filarmonico takes over in the cooler months.

Split has its own summer festival on the Peristyle, opera and ballet at the Croatian National Theatre, and klapa singing in the palace vestibule. Beyond that the programme is thin, especially out of season.

Verona has the edge for real spa time, because warm springs lie close by. There is Sirmione's thermal centre facing Lake Garda, the spring-fed lake in a villa garden near Lazise and the springs at Caldiero, used since Roman times. In town, the Giardino Giusti terraces and a passeggiata along the river set a gentle pace.

Split offers hotel spas and the Dalmatian habit of fjaka: long coffees on the Riva and quiet streets in the afternoon heat. It is restful in May, June and September, but the old town is loud on summer nights, and real calm often means going to an island.