SPU:
Rainbow Flags Fly Over Bacvice - Split Pride Breaks Records

The Adriatic sparkled with more than just sunlight as a flotilla of rainbow-decorated boats paraded past Split's famous beach. This year's Pride celebration saw over 15,000 attendees - a record for Dalmatia - turning the white stone city into a vibrant canvas of color and joy.

Local fisherman Marko Pavlović, who decorated his trawler with rainbow nets, told us: "My nephew came out last year. Today I fish for equality." The celebrations included:

• A "Drag Race" (literally) down the Riva with contestants in 6-inch heels and Roman armor
• The "Underwater Flag Drop" where divers unfurled a 100-foot rainbow banner beneath the waves
• Open-air cinema screening LGBTQ+ classics on the walls of Diocletian's Palace

The emotional peak came when 80-year-old nonna Marija took the mic: "I marched for Tito's partisans in 1944. Today I march for my gay grandson." The crowd's cheers echoed off ancient palace walls.

Fly Proud, Travel Proud
PrestigeFly (www.prestigefly.com) offers Pride Packages with business class on KLM's Amsterdam-Split route and stays at Split's first LGBTQ+ owned boutique hotel. Our "Rainbow Dalmatia" add-on includes private sailing trips to queer-friendly beach bars on nearby islands.