ABOUT SPLIT

With about 250,000 inhabitants Split is the second largest city in Croatia and the economic and administrative centre of Middle Dalmatia. Sitting on the southern side of a high peninsula it is also the jumping-off point for exploration of the coast and islands of the beautiful Croatian Adriatic. The site was first settled when, at the end of the third century AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace here.

Split Sightseeing

Diocletian´s Palace



Facing onto the harbour, Diocletian´s Palace is one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence. Although the original structure was modified in the Middle Ages, the alterations have only served to increase the allure of this fascinating site. Far from being a museum, the 220 buildings within the palace boundaries are still home to about 3000 people as well as housing shops, cafés and restaurants.
The palace was built from lustrous white stone from the island of Brač and construction lasted 10 years. Diocletian spared no expense, importing marble from Italy and Greece, and columns and sphinxes from Egypt. A military fortress, imperial residence and fortified town, the palace measures 215 m from east to west (including the square corner towers) and 181 m wide at the southernmost point. The walls at their highest point measure 26 m and the entire structure covers 31,000 sq metres.
There are fortified gates in the centre of the eastern, northern and western walls, as well as a smaller gate in the southern wall, which led from the living quarters to the sea. Each wall has a gate named after metals: the northern gate is the Golden Gate, the southern gate is the Bronze Gate, the eastern gate is the Silver Gate, and the western gate is the Iron Gate. From the eastern to the western gate there is a straight road (Krešimirova or Decumanus), which separates the imperial residence on the southern side, with its state rooms and temples, from the northern side which was intended for soldiers and servants.

Walking Tour

Statue of Gregorious of Nin (Grgur Ninski)
Gregorius of Nin , the 10th century Croatian bishop who fought for the right to use old Croatian in liturgical service. Sculpted by Ivan Meštrović, this powerful work is one of the defining images of Split. Notice that his left big toe has been polished to a shine. It's said that touching it brings good luck.To the right of the statue is the well-preserved corner tower of the palace. Between the statue and the tower is the remains of the pre-Romanesque church of St Benedict with the 15th -century



Chapel of Arnir
Peer through the protective glass and you'll see the altar slab and altar sarcophagus carved by the early Renaissance master Juraj Dalmatinac. The statue is right outside the Golden Gate which was once the starting point for the road to Solin. From the fragments that remain, it's possible to visualise the statues, columns and arches that once decorated the gate. Turn left at Papalićeva ulica and at number 5 is

Papalic' Palace
with courtyard, loggia and external staircase. Built by Juraj Dalmatinac for one of the many noblemen who lived within the palace in the Middle Ages, it is considered a fine example of late Gothic style with an elaborately carved entrance gate that proclaimed the importance  of its original inhabitants. The exterior of the palace is closer to its original state than the interior, which has been thoroughly restored to house the



Protiron
Which is the entrance into the imperial quarters. The square has an outdoor cafe and the ancient stones provide handy seats to relax and people watch in this popular meeting place. Turn right onto the narrow street of Kraj Sveti Ivana which leads to what used to be the ceremonial and devotional section of the palace. Although the two temples that once flanked the streets have long since disappeared, you can still see parts of columns and a few fragments. At the end of the street is the

Temple of Jupiter
Later converted into a baptistry. The temple once had a porch supported by columns but the one column you see dates from the 5th century. The headless sphinx in black granite guarding the entrance was imported from Egypt at the time of the temple´s construction in the 5th century. The walls of the temple support a barrel-vaulted ceiling and there's a decorative frieze around the other three walls. Below the temple is a crypt which was once used as a church.

Returning to the Peristyle, go up the eastern stairs to the

Cathedral os St Dominis (Sveti Duje)
Originally built as Diocletian's mausoleum. The mausoleum has almost completely preserved its original octagonal form, encircled by 24 columns. the domed interior is round with two rows of Corinthian columns and a frieze showing Emperor Diocletian and his wife, Prisca. The oldest monuments in the cathedral are the remarkable scenes on the wooden entrance doors from the life of Christ. Carved by Andrija Buvina in the 13th century, the scenes are presented in 28 squares, 14 on each side, and recall the fashion of Romanesque miniatures of the time. Notice the right altar carved by Bonino da Milano in 1427 and the vault above the altar decorated with mural paintings by Dujam Vušković. To the left is the altar of St Anastasius by Juraj Dalmatinac in 1448, with a relief of The Flagellation of Christ that is one of the finest sculptural works of its time in Dalmatia. The main altar dates from the 13th century and the vault is ornamented with paintings by M Pončun.
The choir is furnished with 13th -century Romanesque seats which are the oldest in Dalmatia.

Cross the altar and follow the signs to the

Treasury
Rich in reliquaries, icons, church robes, illuminated manuscripts and documents in Glagolitic script.

The Romansque

Belfry
Was constructed between the 12th and the 16th centuries and was reconstructed in 1908 after it collapsed. Notice the two lion figures at the foot of the belfry and the Egyptian black granite, sphinx dating from the 15th century BC on the right wall. South of the mausoleum, there are remains of the Roman baths, a Roman building with a mosaic and the remains of the imperial dining hall in various stages of preservation. Immediately to the left of the catherdral are the massive steps leading down through the Protiron into the

Vestibule
Which is the best-preserved part of the imperial residence. The circular ground floor is topped by a cupola once covered in mosaics and marble, although the centre of the dome has disappeared. Today, the cellars are filled with stands selling souvenirs and handicrafts.

To the left is the entrance to the

Basement Halls,
of the palace. Although mostly empty, the rooms and corridors emit a haunting sense of timelessness that is well worth the price of the ticket. The cellars open onto the southern gate.

Meštrović Gallery
Split´s finest art museum is the Meštrović Galery Spomenika Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 46. The Gallery was founded on a donation from Ivan Mestrovic. It was opened in 1952 in the building Ivan Mestrovic had built according to his own plans from 1931 to 1939. The buildinq was intended as a combination of residential quarters, exhibition halls and ateliers for artists. Mestrovic lived here up to WWII. The largest collection of Mestrovic's works from all of his phases is deposited in the Gallery. Bronze sculptures are on display in the park. Artworks out of marble, stone, wood, bronze, oil paintings and an assortment of drawings are on display in the halls of the gallery. A part of Mestrovic's work is exhibited in the Kastelet, once the summer house of the old Split family Kavanjin - Copogrosso from the XVIIth century. Mestrovic renovated the summer house and in the chapel he exhibited a cycle of the works he had been working of for 40 years.

Kaštelet
Spomenika Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 39
A fortress that Meštrović bought and restored to house his powerful Life of Christ cycle of wood reliefs.

Museums of Croatian Archaeological Monuments
Zrinsko-Frankopanska 25
The emphasis is on the Roman and early Christian period, with exhibits devoted to burial sculpture and excavations at Salona. The quality of the sculpture is high and there are interesting reliefs based on Illyrian mythical figures. There is also jewelery, ceramics and coins.

Restaurants

Restaurant Šumica – Put firula 6 
It is situated in the Bačvice area. For a splurge, you coud not do better than this place. The pasta is home-made and is combined with salmon or other fish in imaginative sauces. The grilled scampi is perfection, but you pay a steep 320 kn per kilogram. Before your meal you will be served a dish of home-made fish pate with bread to whet your appetite. Meals are served on an open-air terrace under pine trees with a view of the sea.
Reservations: +385(0)21/515 911

Restaurant Boban – Hektorovićeva 49
The décor maybe sober and traditional but this family-owned restaurant devotes considerable effort to keeping its menu up to date. The risotto is perfection and the angler wrapped in bacon mouh-watering.
Reservations: +385(0)21/543 300

Konoba Varoš – Ban Mladenova 7
The restaurant is situated in the Varoš area.  It is a typical Dalmatian restaurant with home-made fish and meat dishes.
Reservations: +385(0)21/362 968

Restaurant Lučica – Lučica 7
Lučica is situated in the ACI Marina Split. It has a beautiful open-air terrace with a stunning view over the sea and islands. It is popular for its meat dishes.
Reservations: +385(0)21/ 386 763

Bars and Caffes

Caffe Vidilica – Nazorov prilaz 1
Any time of the day, you can come here to sip a coffee or cocktail and admire the view of Split from an outdoor terrace in front of the Jewish cemetery.

For Bars, head to the palace. There you will find bars like Teak, Bula and Kala. (Majstora Jurja 4). Close to them the hip bar Puls is located. (Buvinina 1).

Bačvice
In the Bačvice entertainment zone you will find plenty of bars, Tropic Club Equador provides the best cocktails and view over the sea.

Riva Split
On the riva are many different cafés located. You can enjoy the view over the sea or do people-watching.



Nights Club

Hemingway bar - Osmih Mediteranskih igara 3
Hemingway bar is situated in a marina in the closeness of the soccer stadium “Poljud”. It is comprised of one big indoor lounge with two bars and one big open air lounge with a swimming-pool and three bars including one cocktail bar. While the indoor part is built in a more classical style the outside is built in a Mexican style.

Vanilla – Poljudski Put bb
It is situated in the stadium complex “Poljud”. It is comprised of one indoor lounge with one big bar and one big open air lounge with one bar.

Aurora – Primošten – Kamenar b.b.
about 60 km from Split
Aurora is located in the hills of the town of Primošten, about 2 km from the central downtown area. It is built in the classical Mediterranean style and characteristic for its simplicity, bright colors, flat roofs, stone walls, terraces, gardens, palm trees and extravagant greenery. Aurora is comprised of two different levels: including 3 dance floors, 6 bars, open air dance floor, swimming pool and vip lounge, trendy ’chill-out’ lounge room with: cocktail bar, pizzeria, steak house, billiards and best lounge music in the region ...

Beaches Split

Bačvice
The Bačvice beach is a combination of sand (mostly) and cement (smaller part of the beach). Bačvice is an urban, central city beach, situated at the outskirts of the narrow city centre. Bačvice bay is oriented towards Brač Channel. The beach has lifeguards, life-saving equipment, first-aid, facilities for disabled, renting facilities, catering facilities, showers, lockers, recyclable waste facilities. Certified lifeguards are present during the whole bathing season, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Beach can be accessed by 3 entrances, one of them for disabled persons with a special ramp. It has a parking lot, right next to the pedestrian crossing. The beach also has a safety entrance ramp.

Kašjuni Beach - Obojena Svjetlost
This beautiful pebble beach is located underneath the Meje area. There is a nice café and also fast food and a restaurant.

Hotel Split Beach
It is a mostly pebbled beach with some stone blocks. This resort beach is located underneath the hotel Split. The beach has life-saving equipment, lifeguards, facilities for disabled persons, recyclable waste facilities, first aid, catering facilities, etc. The lifeguards are present: during the season from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. The beach is located in a suburb of the city of Split and it is 350 m long, belonging to hotel Split; there is a promenade right above the beach, closed for traffic. There are no sensitive areas nearby; a promenade passes by above the shingle parts and the plateu, there is the slope of the camping to the north of the promenade; on the plateau along its upper side is a spot with palm trees and decorative bushes Beach can be accessed from the promenade by walkways; the entrance to the water is over a stairway-ladder.

Excursion

National Parks

Krka Waterfalls - 1 hour and 15 minutes away from Trogir by car
It was proclaimed a national park in 1985 and is the seventh national park in Croatia. The Krka National Park is located entirely within the territory of Šibenik- Knin County and encompasses an area of 109 square kilometers along the Krka River: Two kilometers downriver from Knin to Skradin and the lower part of the Čikola River. From the flooded part of the mouth, it is 72.5 kilometers in length, making the Krka the 22nd longest river in Croatia. With its seven travertine waterfalls and a total drop of 242 meters, the Krka River is a natural and karstic phenomenon.

Skradinski Buk
A circular sightseeing tour of Skradinski buk. Enjoy walking over the bridges that follow the  course of the waterfalls, and viewing the wealth of flora and fauna. Presentation exhibitions for visitors include: ethno collection, mills, wicker clothes, basket, columns, weaving loom, souvenir shop.



Visovac
This 2 hour organized boat tour leaves from Skradinski buk and includes: a ridge through the Krka River canyon, a visit to the Fraciscan monastery, a half-hour tour of the churches and museums and a tour of the island.



Roški Slap
This 4 hour tour includes: a visit to Visovac, a ride upstream through the Krka River canyon to the waterfalls. Once you arrive at the Roški Waterfall, enjoy the diversity of flora and fauna, and the presentation exhibits at the mills: mill, wicker clothes basket, loom, souvenir shop, presentation centre. The boat leaves from the dock at Skradinski buk.



Monastery ''Krka''
This 2 hour tour begins at the Roški Waterfall dock. Experience untouched nature, the high canyon cliffs and the diversity of the plant and animal world. The tour includes a tour of the monastery, and the catacombs are open to visitors.



Plitvice lakes National park – 2 hours away from Trogir by car (motorway). The area of Plitvice Lakes, declared a National Park in 1949, is a valley situated between high forested mountains. Here lies a string of sixteen beautiful lakes and tarns of crystal blue-green colour, one below another. They are fed by many small streams and brooks and spill into each other in foaming cascades and thundering waterfalls. In the waterless karst with its sparse vegetation you come suddenly upon a treasure of water in which are reflected densely forested hills. The exceptional beauty of the lakes and waterfalls, rich plant and animal life, contrasting colours, forests and the pure mountain air attract many nature lovers from all over the world. Due to their unique evolution and beauty, in 1979 the Plitvice Lakes were entered in the Unesco World Heritage.

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