Split attractions

The UNESCO World Heritage City of Split, Croatia's second largest municipality, offers a flood of sights. One day is not enough to get to know all the attractions of the big city. Cruise ship guests are forced to compromise on one-day visits to Split. We give advice as to which sights of the city should not be missed by day visitors who have come by boat.

Split - landing stage for the tender boats

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Split - one of the most beautiful cities in Croatia

From the ship, visitors perceive Split for the time being as a port city protected by high mountains and offshore islands. Split, with currently almost 170.000 inhabitants, is one of the most beautiful cities in Croatia. Split offers its guests historical and cultural treasures, a well-tended promenade and beautiful beaches.

The Diocletian's Palace - the nucleus of the old town of Split

Split's old town has been under the protection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1979. The old town developed over time from the Diocletian's Palace built at the beginning of the 4th century AD. The palace, the city's most important landmark, was built within ten years. The dimensions of the magnificent complex are given as 215 meters long and 180 meters wide. The built-up area measures almost four hectares. A wall up to 18 meters high protected the terrain, and four gates provided access to the palace.

The palace served the Roman emperor Diocletian as a retirement home. In terms of its present-day shape and arrangement, it cannot be compared with modern rulers' palaces. In addition to the imperial villa, the site included various administrative buildings, barracks and the ruler's mausoleum.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, monument protection had not yet been invented, the residents adapted the architecture of the palace to their needs. Homes and businesses sprang up wherever their builders liked it. This fact explains that the former palace complex is now a jumble of secular buildings and the buildings belonging to the palace.

Old town Split - Impression

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The main, visible parts of Diocletian's Palace are the vestibule, the peristyle, the Podrumi, the Cathedral of St. Domnius of Split (Sveti Duje) and the Temple of Jupiter.

vestibule

The vestibule was the vestibule of the imperial apartments. The building has stood the test of time in good condition. The building, which is square on the outside and round on the inside, faces the cathedral. Visitors reach the vestibule via a staircase leading up from the peristyle. Next to the vestibule is Split's ethnographic museum.

peristyle

The peristyle was a monumental colonnaded courtyard. During Diocletian's lifetime it served as a meeting place. There the emperor received high-ranking personalities in front of a magnificent facade. Under the inner courtyard were the catacombs with the dungeons.

podrumi

From two sides, the Porta Aenea on the sea side and the peristyle, marble steps lead down into the catacombs known as Podrumi. According to ancient sources, the underground rooms served as a safe place for unpopular Christians. A significant part of the high underground halls is now used for exhibitions, theater performances or concerts. Works of art and handcrafted souvenirs are on sale on either side of a hallway under the palace. From today's perspective, the Podrumi are considered to be one of the best-preserved ancient, underground building complexes.

Split - Passage Podrumi

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Cathedral of Saint Domnius of Split

The octagonal episcopal church supported by 24 columns emerged from the mausoleum of Emperor Diocletian. In the 6th century AD, the tomb was converted into a church. The elevation of the church to a cathedral followed in the 10th century. The house of God is considered to be one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in the world. The episcopal church is dedicated to St. Domnius of Split. Saint Domnius was bishop of the diocese of Salona, ​​today's Split. At the instigation of the Emperor Diocletian, the prince of the church was beheaded in 304 AD during the last persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the martyr as a saint.

Cathedral of Saint Domnius of Split

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The treasury of the cathedral contains valuable sacred objects and vestments from several centuries. The octagonal tomb of the emperor and his wife is inside the church. The church tower was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. More than 200 steps lead to the viewing platform of the 60 meter high campanile. Visitors can enjoy the view of Split from the platform.

In front of the cathedral, an Egyptian sphinx made of black granite, more than 3.000 years old, guards the entrance to the church. The figure, over three meters long, combines a lion's body with a human head. The limbs are hands and not lion paws. Three other sphinxes imported from Egypt were lost. The four statues guarded the imperial tomb.

Split - Egyptian Sphinx

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Jupiter Temple

The temple of Jupiter is also a relic from Roman times. The rectangular temple dedicated to the supreme Roman god stands on a podium. The Jupiter cult was worshiped in the temple. Later the building was Christianized and converted into the baptistery of St. John.

city ​​wall

A high wall with four gates surrounded the Diocletian's palace. After the end of the Roman Empire, the palace fell into disrepair. People settled there, and the old town area emerged from the complex. In the Middle Ages, the city grew beyond the city walls. The western suburbs were secured by walls in the 14th century. From the 16th century onwards, the city leaders countered the Turkish expansion by building a star-shaped fortress with five bastions. At the beginning of the 19th century the fortress was razed; the original city walls remained.

The most magnificent and beautiful of the four city gates is the "Golden Gate" (Porta Aurea).

In front of the Golden Gate is the eight-meter-high statue of Bishop Gregory of Nin, the work of the Croatian artist Ivan Meštrović. In contrast to the surrounding old structure, the statue was built in 1928. Legend has it that anyone who touches one of the statue's big toes can hope for good luck and health. Many people apparently took the legend seriously: The toes are as shiny as a mirror. During our last visit, the statue was covered for restoration work. The toes remained untouched.

Splits waterfront

The picturesque Riva waterfront promenade, lined with palm trees, cafés and restaurants, is a gem of Split. It runs south of the old town parallel to the water and connects the old town with the Franciscan monastery on Trg Franje Tuđmana to the west. The promenade received its present form in the 19th century under French rule.

Nice places and buildings

To the west of the old town is a “modern” district that was created in the Middle Ages. The following places and buildings are worth seeing and recommended:

Trg Republike

In our opinion, the elongated, square Trg Republike (Republic Square) is Split's most beautiful square. It is reminiscent of Venice's St. Mark's Square. On both long sides and one transverse side there are buildings that are similar in style to the Venetian procurator's palaces.

Split - Trg Republic

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Narodni Trg

In the center of the old town is the Narodni Trg, the people's square. The old town hall and townhouses of former noble merchants stand on the square. The architectural details of the facades prove that when they were built, decorative elements were not spared.

The clock tower of Narodni Trg was originally a defense tower and part of the city wall. The tower received the clock in the 15th century. Unlike usual, it shows the day with 24 hours. Visitors coming from Diocletian's Palace enter the square through Porta Ferrea, the “Iron Gate”.

Split - Narodni Trg with the clock tower

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Fruit Square

Voćni Trg was the town's former fruit market. The square is also called Brace Radica. Voćni Trg is another worth seeing square surrounded by fine shops. On and around the square are the Marulić monument, a Venetian defense tower and the Milesi Palace.

Split - Marulić Monument with the Milesi Palace

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The Marulić statue is dedicated to the poet and Christian humanist Marko Marulić, who lived in the 15th century. The Croatian 500 kuna banknote bears his likeness.  

The most striking structure on the square is the octagonal Venetian defense tower from the 15th century. It was built to protect Split from Turkish attacks.

Split - Voćni Trg with the Venetian defense tower

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Opposite the tower is the Milesi Palace, built in the 17th century. The spectacular baroque facade is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Dalmatia.

Split's old town - live and let live

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The Marjan peninsula with the Marjan Forest Park

In the west of Split, the three and a half kilometers long, pine-lined Marjan peninsula rises out of the sea. The limestone rock was forested as planned from the middle of the 19th century. The area, which is criss-crossed by walking paths and jogging paths, serves the residents of Split as a recreational area. From the park and a café below the 180 m high hill, visitors can enjoy the view of the city and the sea. Other highlights of the peninsula are several beautiful beaches. Kasjuni Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the city.

The Meštrović gallery is located at the entrance to the Marjan peninsula. The art museum and a Mediterranean garden show works by the famous Croatian-born sculptor and architect Ivan Meštrović. He created the more than eight meter high statue of Bishop Gregory of Nin, which was erected in front of the Golden Gate.

Split - Meštrović Gallery

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Update May 2023