Split

Split is a hotspot destination. It overflows with thousands of visitors who disembark from humongous cruise ships daily. Tour guides jockey for space with their groups in the narrow historical cobblestone streets of Diocletian’s Palace, while others offer their services to every passing person who is not traipsing after a guide. It’s chaotic! Despite this, Split remains an amazingly well-preserved, enchanting town.

Half of the Old City is made up of Diocletian’s enormous Palace, which served as the Roman Emperor’s retirement home and military barracks. Today, the Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been preserved and integrated into modern-day Split, where apartments, stores, offices, cafes, and restaurants thrive in a living museum.

The Peristil is the main courtyard of the Palace. Surrounded by Corinthian columns, it has become a popular modern venue for plays, concerts, and simply hanging out.

‘Roman guards’ dressed in their ancient garb take one back in time, and are generally happy to have their photos taken.

A ‘modern’ addition to the charm of ancient Split are the sculptures that stand in the lively plazas and at the Golden Gate of Diocletian’s Palace, where the statue of Grgur Ninski, sculpted by Ivan Meštrović, the world-renowned Croatian sculptor, pays homage to the medieval bishop who was an advocate of Croatia’s national language. It is famous for its golden toe, which visitors rub for good luck.

Another famous Meštrović sculpture, which has become a meeting place for tour groups, stands in Fruit Square/Voćni trg, near the Milesi Palace and the Venetian tower. The statue honors Marko Marulić, considered the father of Croatian literature.

The clock tower and bell tower are located at the Iron Gate of Diocletian’s Palace. The narrow little lane leading up to it is always clogged with visitors.

*If you would like to sleep within the walls of Diocletian’s Palace, spend a night or two at the Peristil Hotel. Although it’s not opulent, you’re sleeping within the walls of an ancient palace! We stayed there during our first visit to Split. It’s amazing to wake up within the walls and have breakfast outdoors below the ancient stone arches. One can also dine there in a romantic, unique setting.

The basements of Diocletian’s Palace were built to support the foundations and elevate the Emperor’s quarters above sea level. They were also used as a storage area for food, wine, and an oil press. Today, it serves as an exhibition space for artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations and as an ideal setting for the dungeons of the world-famous TV series Game of Thrones, where Daenerys Targaryen kept her dragons.

Outside the walls of the Palace is the Riva, a waterfront promenade lined by restaurants, ice cream parlors, and bars, that runs the length of the Old Town.

If you are interested in seeing more of Meštrović’s work, it’s a twenty to thirty-minute peaceful walk from Split’s Old Town center to his home, which is now an indoor and outdoor sculpture and art gallery. There are stunning views of the Adriatic Sea and the Central Dalmatian Islands from the museum’s front patio and manicured gardens.

Take a towel and bathing suit if you’d like to walk down the short coastal path to the beach and the sparkling turquoise sea.