The historic center of Trogir sits on a tiny island – roughly 500 meters long and 250 meters wide – which can be fairly closely explored in the matter of a couple of hours. The town is visually appealing and picturesque but for me falls short in the Wow! department.
The main points of interest are the cluster of buildings around the main public square; the Riva waterfront with Kamerlengo fort at one end; and a number of churches and palaces. Somewhat strangely for my usual expectations, all churches in the center (except the cathedral) appeared not open to visitors in midday in early July; I did not have any plans to see palaces' interiors (and never researched if that is even possible). So, my visit largely consisted of walking around and admiring exteriors. That is not easy to accomplish in many instances, since the limited space of the island means the inner streets are all very narrow and wide perspectives are possible only on the edges of town and the aforementioned main public square, which is technically two squares, Radovanov Trg and Trg Ivana Pavla II.
Saint Lawrence Cathedral opens up on both of those. Climbing its tower is fairly worthwhile, but the most outstanding feature of the church might be its main portal, which can be seen without paying an entrance fee. The ticket covers the tower, the baptistery and the cathedral interior; as with any main church in a historic town it is not without nice features.
Also on the combined two-squares place are a few other highlights. The 15th-century town clock tower is technically part of the church of Saint Sebastian. The 13th-century town Loggia was the central public space of the city life for centuries, at some point rededicated as a Venetian monument, extensively renovated in the late 19th century, and adorned with the equestrian relief of a 16th-century viceroy of Croatia as recently as 1930’s. Cipiko Palace, facing the cathedral, is made up of several buildings that have over time become a connected single structure; the section obvious in its Venetian heritage is the one catching the eye.
Trogir can be reached in less than half an hour by car from central Split. Two to three hours appears enough time to explore the town core in reasonable depth.