Split Port

Split in detail

Split, the largest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast, is the heart of Dalmatia. The old town is built around the harbour on the south side of a high peninsula sheltered from the open sea by many islands.

The port is sizeable and convenient for visiting the town centre on foot. It takes 10 minutes to walk from the berth, where you can also grab a city tour bus. The town itself is striking for its high, walled old city and wide promenade.The most important sight is Diocletian's Palace, built of local white limestone, which is the heart of the inner city surrounded by other historical buildings. The palace combines luxurious villa with military camp and incorporates the Austrian Imperial Apartments.

There are also some interesting museums - the Maritime Museum, Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments and the Mestrovic Gallery. On the outskirts of the city is Solin (location of ancient town of Salona) where you will find excavations of the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and the birthplace of Emperor Diocletian.The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Ciovo 27 km west of Split.

This well-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex has a medieval core, surrounded by walls and comprises a preserved castle and tower and a series of dwellings and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Split achieved fame when the Roman emperor Diocletian (245-313), noted for his persecution of early Christians, had his retirement palace built here from 295 to 305. After his death the great stone palace continued to be used as a retreat by Roman rulers. When the nearby colony Salona was abandoned in the 7th century, many of the "Romanized" inhabitants fled to Split and barricaded themselves behind the high palace walls where their descendants live to this very day. Since 1945 Split has grown into a major industrial city with large apartment-block housing areas. Much of old Split remains, however, and this combined with its exuberant nature makes it one of the most fascinating cities in Europe.