Even though it’s Croatia’s second largest city, Split is easy to navigate and even with only one day, it’s possible to see most of the main attractions! Having a couple of days to see it all would certainly be a more relaxing pace, but with so much else to see in Croatia, we opted to venture further out with our extra day. The surrounding area is dotted with many interesting places well worth seeing! That said, most of the important sights are situated within the Old Town and the best way to see them is to do it on foot!
Exploring the Diocletian’s Palace
This fortress-like palace is one of the city’s most important attraction and a must-see. It’s like a small city within Split’s Old Town. In fact, most of the sights are located in or around this area. The palace used to be the residence of the Roman emperor and also housed the military garrison. It has four main gates and many important buildings stand within its walls including the Cathedral of St Domnius and the Temple of Jupiter.
The Peristyle is the palace’s main plaza and for the enjoyment of tourists they reenact a scene from the Roman times: “The emperor and empress come out to greet the crowd of subjects (tourists).” We didn’t stick around for all of it, preferring to move on to other sites nearby. St Dominus Cathedral stands on one side of the plaza and on the other side there are the temples of Venus and Cybeles. The Temple of Jupiter is directly behind them and is a Roman temple dating back to the 3rd century and dedicated to Jupiter. If you look carefully, on a ledge you will see an Egyptian Sphinx.
Just outside the Golden Gate, the palace’s main entrance, you can find the Gregory of Nin sculpture and the Josipa Jurja Strossmayer Park.
The Museum of Fine Arts is nearby and situated inside a former hospital.
Climbing St. Domnius Cathedral’s Bell Tower
This 7th century cathedral owes its Roman features to the fact that it was originally built as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The hexagonal shape, the circular ceiling, the Roman columns and a few other features like the eagle remind us of its original purpose!
Climbing to the top of the bell tower was well worth the effort to get a bird’s-eye view of the Old Town down below and to have a closer look at the bells. Don’t let the rusty state of the narrow stairs or the creaking sound they make deter you—it only adds to the experience!
Visiting the Cellars of the Diocletian’s Palace
The palace’s well-preserved basement halls are in part responsible for the Diocletian’s Palace’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They were built with the primary purpose of elevating the emperor’s chambers, which were located above and designed in the same manner giving us insight into what the emperor’s chambers may have looked like.
During the Roman times the cellars were used for the storage of goods. In one of the rooms there’s an ancient olive oil press. The basement was also used as a residential area for the poorer classes in the Middles Ages. In more recent years it served as a filming location for the popular show, Game of Thrones.
The entrance to the cellars is located next to the Brass Gate, which faces the harbor. This is a good starting point to venture further out and to explore more of the Old Town or the adjacent Marjan Hill Park.
Roaming around the Old Town
The historical center is a maze of winding cobblestone streets and plazas lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. We found that getting lost in its small alleyways was the best way to explore it and to stumble upon interesting or enticing places.
Next to the Iron Gate we spotted a small pastry shop and couldn’t get enough (but had to stop!) of their delicious Kremsnite, a Croatian custard-filled pie. What’s not to like?
Churches, ancient buildings and fortifications dating to another era can be found all over the Old Town and walking around is the ideal way to discover it. There is no parking so don’t even think about taking a car here. Everything is close by and easy to find.
A walk around Split’s Old Town: Exiting the Diocletian Palace by the Iron Gate we walked to People’s Square, which was the city’s business and administration center during the 15th century. Next to it is the Old Town Hall, which is worth a look and makes for a pleasant walk. We then went south to the Brace Radic Square, which is located close to the waterfront. Walking west along the harbor we saw St Françis Church, looked inside, and then continued on to the Marjan Hill Stairs to explore the neighboring park.
Hiking up Marjan Hill for spectacular views
This forested hillside-park has many historical landmarks scattered around its numerous paths and many lookout points offering spectacular views of the city and the Dalmatian Islands. In the heat of the day it was a grueling hike up, but worth every ounce of sweat. Of course, we had to walk up all the way to the flag, just to say we did! The only thing missing (just kidding!) were the herds of tourists!
Sitting down at a terrace restaurant, enjoying an octopus salad and a drink, we admired the panoramic scenery before our eyes…
Other places of interest around Split include the ancient Roman Ruins of Salona and the hilltop Klis Fortress. Read more about these places in our post: Croatia Road Trip: A Self-Guided Adventure
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