OLD TOWN – DIOCLETIAN PALACE & 3 SQUARES

absolutely a “must see”

The emperor Diocletian’s Palace is a place where it all started more than 1700 years ago…

Listed in 1979 in UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage, it is one of the world’s best-preserved works of late antiquity and definitely a top sight in Split. Coupled with its strong history, the city grew in and around a splendid Roman palace taking all the richest ingredients from a succession of invaders such as Slavs, Venetians, the French and Austrians. Throughout time, the palace has remained the heart of Split with its unique blend of architectural styles in a maze of narrow streets, hidden passages filled with stylish boutiques, cozy restaurants and cafés, many of which are housed in Baroque and Renaissance buildings.

Split’s old centre is a great fusion of old and new, a place where among impressive Roman structures and proud Venetian buildings you can still find ordinary life. The Palace itself still houses about 3000 inhabitants. If you look up, you can see locals hanging their washed laundry on a drying rack, you can sometimes hear them chit-chat or even sing traditional folk songs, or see kids playing football amid the ancient walls.