Split or Zagreb?

This is where the two differ most. In Split the sea is part of daily life: Bačvice's shallow sandy bay is in town, the pine-shaded coves around Marjan are quieter, and ferries to Brač, Šolta and Hvar lead to longer beaches. Most of the shore is pebble or concrete, and it gets crowded in high summer.

Zagreb is inland, about two hours from the coast. Lake Jarun and Bundek are fine for cooling off on a hot afternoon, but anyone who wants the sea should plan a separate stop on the coast.

The two are broadly level, but they eat as if they were in different countries. Split cooks Dalmatian: grilled fish, black risotto, pašticada and peka, with Plavac Mali and Pošip to drink. The best meals are in konobas in Varoš rather than inside the palace walls, and the scene goes quiet in winter.

Zagreb is Central European in spirit, with štrukli, turkey with mlinci and Zagorje sausages, and Dolac market at the centre of it. Coffee on the Lower Town terraces is the city's real ritual, and it carries on all year.

Split has the single greater sight. Diocletian's Palace is still a lived-in Roman complex, with the cathedral inside the emperor's mausoleum and the vaulted halls underneath. Add the Meštrović Gallery and the list is short but memorable.

Zagreb spreads its interest more widely and less dramatically. There is the medieval Upper Town with St Mark's and the Stone Gate, the Austro-Hungarian Green Horseshoe below it, and a set of solid museums, from Mimara to Naive Art. Mirogoj cemetery is a quiet highlight. Either city takes about two days to see.

The two are fairly close, and the difference is mostly the season. Split's summer nights run from the Riva into bars in the palace alleys and on to the clubs at Bačvice, but from October to May there is little left. Zagreb is calmer but steadier: café-bars along Tkalčićeva, craft beer around Flower Square, lakeside clubs at Jarun in summer and student venues all year.

Split has more dramatic country close at hand. Marjan's forest and cliffs start at the edge of the old town. Mosor and Kozjak offer real ridge walks, and Biokovo, the Cetina canyon and the Krka waterfalls are each about an hour away. On top of that come kayaking and sailing among the islands.

Zagreb's outdoors is green and gentle. You can reach the beech woods of Medvednica by tram and bus, and there is Maksimir park and cycling along the Sava. Plitvice is a long day's outing to the south.

Split is the better base. UNESCO-listed Trogir and Šibenik, Roman Salona and Klis Fortress are all close, and the ferries open up Hvar, Brač and Vis, though sailings are fewer in winter.

Zagreb's outings are pleasant rather than famous: the Zagorje castles such as Trakošćan, baroque Varaždin, Samobor and the Plešivica wine roads, with Ljubljana as a long day trip.

Both work for children in a simple way, and neither has a theme park or a big aquarium. Split's draws are paddling at Bačvice, shade on Marjan and a ferry ride, but summer heat and packed streets can wear families down. Zagreb is easier with a pushchair, with flat streets and trams, and it has a zoo, the Tesla technical museum and the funicular.

Both are easy, in different ways. In Split nearly everything is a walk from the palace, and the ferry port, bus station and railway station sit together at the harbour. The local buses are basic, and the stepped stone streets are hard work with luggage.

Zagreb has the more useful transport, with a dense tram network and the funicular up to the Upper Town, and much of the centre is flat.

Zagreb has the edge, though neither is a reason to go. Ilica and the streets around it mix chains with local fashion and design. You can take home licitar hearts, lace and truffle products, and there is a Sunday flea market at Britanski trg.

Split's palace shops lean heavily on souvenirs, and the Pazar market, with its figs, honey and brandies, is the most enjoyable place to browse.

Zagreb gives you more for your money, especially in summer. Its central rooms, trams and museum tickets are reasonably priced all year.

Split in July and August costs about as much as a big Western European city, and fish sold by weight and island ferries push the bill up further. Visit in May, June or late September and its prices come much closer to Zagreb's.

Zagreb has the fuller calendar. The Croatian National Theatre puts on opera and ballet, the Lisinski hall is home to the Philharmonic, and the Zagreb Soloists play chamber music in churches and halls.

Split's highlights are mostly in summer: the Summer Festival's open-air opera in the Peristyle and klapa singing under the domed vestibule. Outside that season there is much less to see.

Split is a little better for unwinding, mainly through fjaka, the Dalmatian habit of long, unhurried coffees, and through quiet swims and the pine woods of Marjan outside the busy summer weeks.

Zagreb has only hotel spas in town, but the thermal resorts of Zagorje, such as Tuheljske Toplice, are about an hour away for a proper soak in warm mineral pools.