"PICIGIN" in SPLIT

Split Beach - Bacvice

People playing Picigin at the beach Bacvice

As we've mentioned the summer season in Croatia has started!  A season full of outdoor sports, games, swimming, enjoying the warm and sunny weather, but between all that and waiting for the European Football Championship to start in the Ukraine & Poland we want to share the sport of Picigin with you!

Ever heard of it?

Wiki defines it as: 

"Picigin (pronounced "pih-tsih-gheen") is a traditional ball game from Split, Croatia that is played on the beach. It is an amateur sport played in shallow water consisting of players keeping a small ball from touching the water."

Originating on the sandy beaches of Split's Bacvice beach (pictured above) it was first played in 1908 by a group of Croatian students from Prague!  They had a tough time playing waterpolo in such shallow water and started a different game, which eventually came to be known as picigin.  A game that today is 104 years old, and still seen all over the beaches in Split during the summer months! 

Championship 

In 2005, the Picigin World Championship (Prvenstvo svita u piciginu) was started and is organized every year on Bačvice beach in Split. Until 2008, players were judged on ability to include and perform specific jumps while playing, but since 2008, the winner is selected by the artistic impression of the entire team.

If you like the beach (who doesn't?), if you like sports and if you like to try new things this is a must do in Split.  Spending an afternoon, a day, heck a week, down at Bacvice beach and testing you picigin talents. Come with a group & a ball, come with a few friends, or head down on your own - there's almost always a game going and they're always welcoming to new participants!  

Bacvice is also the most widely known and popular beach in all of Split, with a long sandy stretch of beach providing lounge chair rental services and a strip of cafes and restaurants to the left.  At night most of the cafes turn into discos, and is one of THE places to go & party, for both locals and tourists.

Ask any of the locals to point you in the direction of Bacvice, or consult any guidebook.  A quick and easy walk from the old city, the heart of Split.  Follow the beach south from the ferry terminals and you're there in a 10min walk. You can always ask your hostel guide or hotel, and remember if you're looking for accommodations during your stay in Split, click the Accomodations tab on the top of our site or give us a shout!

xo