WELCOME ΤΟSplit

If it's your first time in Split, you'll be excused for thinking that there are no beaches here. The port harbor isn't exactly the most inviting place to swim. However, just around the corner are two very beautiful beaches. The first and most famous is Bacvice Beach, just a 15-minute walk from Split's Old Town. The shores are lined with a concrete boardwalk, and the beach itself is a thin strip of small pebbles leading into pristine waters.

One of the most interesting attractions in the Diocletian Palace is its underground network of cellars and tunnels. To explore these underground wonders, walk to Peristil Square and look for the stone staircase leading beneath the Ethnographic Museum. The Diocletian Cellars are a great place to escape the heat, as the temperatures are always much cooler! Additionally, you'll find many small market stalls in the cellars, offering everything from hand-made souvenirs to local delicacies.

By far, the most famous and main attraction in Split, Croatia is the Diocletian Palace. This historic roman era palace forms the old town city center and was built for the famous Roman emperor Diocletian during the fourth century AD. What makes this site so famous is that it is one of the best-preserved Roman architectural monuments in the world! However, the palace today varies greatly from its original structure due to city inhabitants modifying and repurposing its buildings for the past several hundred years. Yet, you'll still find original stoneworks scattered throughout the Old Town in ruined form. Therefore, when you are walking through the Old Town of Split, you are actually walking through the palace itself!

The city’s cathedral is one of Dubrovnik’s large ensemble of baroque architecture. Among the many reasons to pay this seat of the diocese a visit is to see the interior’s artworks. On the main altar there’s a triptych of the Ascension of Mary by the renaissance painter Titian from 1550. On the church’s side altars are several other impressive works by Croatian and Italian artists from the same era. In the treasury is a wealth of precious liturgical items dating from the 1000s to the 1700s, including the gold-plated bones of St. Blaise.

As you arrive in the old town through the Pile Gate, the main entrance and ticket office to the City Walls is right there. You can set your own pace, take an hour or an afternoon. Audio-guides in English are sold at the main entrance but most visitors are perfectly content with random vistas of red-tiled roofs or, better still, the panoramic blue of the Adriatic, interspersed with pristine white stones jutting into it down below from varying angles.

Lovers of history will definitely want to visit The Fortress of Klis, a medieval hill fortress found just behind Split's modern city. This remarkable fortification boasts a near 2000-year old history, from its origins as an Illyrian stronghold to a royal castle held by many Croatian kings. At just 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the ceter of Split, visiting the fortress is easy for travelers with a car.

This complex is from the 1300s,having been moved inside the city walls after an earlier monastery had been constructed and then decomissioned beyond them. The famous 17th-century earthquake claimed the church, which was rebuilt in the baroque style, while the rest of the monastery is Romanesque and gothic. One of the must-sees is the monastery’s pharmacy, dating to 1317 making it one of the oldest still-operating pharmacies in the world. The library is also magnificent, with 20,000 books, among which are some 1200 priceless manuscripts.

During a visit to the Golden Gate, it's difficult to miss the prominent brass structure called the Grgur Ninski statue. Gregory of Nin was a bishop famous for introducing the Croatian language to religious Christian services after the 926 Great Assembly. Before then, services were only held in Latin. While the pope strongly opposed Grgur Ninski, he persevered, which ultimately strengthened the Christian Religion throughout the country by making the scriptures accessible to all.

The Temple of Jupiter is one of the oldest and most significant structures in Split's Old City. Although quite a small building, historian circles regard the Jupiter Temple as one of the most well-preserved 4th-century buildings. Historians believe that the Romans built this temple between 295 and 305 AD. This was to honor the god Jupiter, the ancient god of the sky and thunder and king of the gods. You'll find this spectacularly preserved temple near the palace courtyard, just a short walk from the cathedral.

Not only the popular destinations but also this old city on the peninsula is definitely worth a trip. Korçula is a beautiful little town where Marco Polo is from. Rightly called the second most beautiful city, after Dubrovnik, of Dalmatia. Not nearly as crowded and not as hyped as Dubrovnik but of course also touristy. Small alleys, a nice promenade to linger and nice people. A lovely little old town with nice cafes and restaurants, spend a lovely day in this old city!