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Split
The Living Palace City
The Living Palace City
The palace covers 30,000 square metres of the Split old town — not a museum but a neighbourhood. Enter through the Zlatna Vrata (Golden Gate) to the north or the Srebrna Vrata (Silver Gate) to the east. The peristyle square at the heart of the palace was the emperor’s ceremonial courtyard; the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (4th century) was once Diocletian’s mausoleum (€5 for the cathedral, €5 for the tower).
💡 The palace is busiest 10am–5pm in summer. Early morning or evening the alleys empty out completely and you have the Roman stones to yourself.
The 600-metre palm-lined promenade directly south of the palace walls is where Split comes alive in the evening. The korzo — Croatia’s informal evening stroll — fills the Riva with locals and visitors from 6pm onwards. Tables spill out from the waterfront cafés; boats load for the islands; the palace illuminations reflect in the harbour. This is the social centre of Dalmatian life.
💡 The best seats for the korzo are at the western end of the Riva, facing east toward the palace towers at sunset.
The 178-metre wooded peninsula west of the old town is Split’s green lung: a nature park of pine forest and Mediterranean scrub with walking trails, two small medieval chapels, and the best panoramic views of the city, the bay and the outer islands. Walk up from the Mestrovic Gallery in 20 minutes; cycle the perimeter road in 45. Free to enter; open year-round.
💡 Go at sunset. The panorama from the main viewpoint at the top — old town, Riva, Kasi Islands on the horizon — is the finest view of Split.
The 20th-century Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović built this seafront villa as his home and studio; it is now a gallery of his monumental sculpture (€10). The Kashtelet chapel next door holds his carved wooden frieze of the life of Christ. Outside the old town, 3km west of the Riva — take Uber or walk along the sea promenade past the beaches.
💡 The Meštrović Gallery is closed Mondays. The Kashtelet chapel (€10, or combined ticket €15) is the highlight for most visitors.
Split’s food scene has improved dramatically — the tourist trap cafés on the Riva have been joined by a genuine generation of young chefs working the konoba format. Order the rižot (seafood risotto; €14–22), the peka (lamb or octopus slow-roasted under a bell lid in embers; €18–35; order 24 hours ahead), or the grilled whole fish priced by weight. Pag cheese (ški sir) is the region’s signature ingredient — salty, firm, exceptional.
💡 The Stari Plac (Old Market) in front of the Silver Gate opens each morning with fresh fish, vegetables and local cheese. The best and cheapest breakfast in Split is here — grilled fish sandwich from the market stalls for under €4.
The Ozujsko or Karlovacko beer, a glass of Graševina white from Slavonia, or a local Plavac Mali from the Dalmatian islands all work well with food from the sea. The wine bars in the palace alleys tend to open late and stay open later.
Diocletian’s Palace has no entrance ticket for general wandering. Only the cathedral (€5), the tower (€5) and the cellars (€10) charge.
The peristyle square is deserted before 8am and after 10pm. At midday in summer it holds hundreds of people. The early morning light on the Roman columns is exceptionally photogenic.
Krilo catamaran from Split to Hvar Town: 1 hour, €15–20 each way. Morning boat at 9am, return around 7pm.
The famous pebble spit that changes shape with the current. Ferry from Split to Supetar on Brač (50 min; €5), then bus to Bol (45 min; €3). An easy and beautiful full-day trip.
Free, 20 minutes from the Riva. The view from the main terrace takes in the old town, the Riva, the bay and the Kasi Islands. Bring your own drink.
Both apps work well in Split. Useful for the Meštrović Gallery (3km), the beach hotels and the airport. Taxis at the Riva are significantly more expensive.
May–June and September–October. July–August is electric but crowded; the korzo and the palace are worth it despite the heat.
Day 1 inside the Roman palace and along the Riva. Day 2 on the water — Hvar or Brač — then Marjan Hill at sunset.
Enter the palace through the Golden Gate and walk the Roman peristyle. Cathedral of Saint Domnius (€5; the 4th-century mausoleum converted to a church). Palace cellars (€10; the subterranean spaces that supported the imperial floor above — the best sense of the original scale). Lunch at the Old Market in front of the Silver Gate. Afternoon: Meštrović Gallery (3km; €10; Uber there, walk back along the sea promenade). Riva from 6pm — join the korzo, order an Ozujsko, watch the ferries load for the islands.
💡 The palace alleys are labyrinthine — get slightly lost on purpose. Some of the best cafés and wine bars are in the unmarked Roman passages between the main streets.
Krilo catamaran to Hvar Town (9am; €15–20; 1h) for the fortress, the lavender-scented alleys and a swim at one of the Pakleni Islands beaches (water taxi from the harbour; €5). Return ferry at 6pm. Or: ferry to Supetar on Brač (50 min; €5), bus to Bol (45 min; €3), afternoon at Zlatni Rat beach. Either way, back in Split by early evening. Marjan Hill at sunset — walk up in 20 min from the Riva; the panorama of the old town and the bay is the best view in Split.
💡 Book the Hvar catamaran at the terminal the morning of travel, or online the day before. In peak July–August it sells out by 10am.
Split is significantly more affordable than Dubrovnik. Per person per day, excluding flights.
The Diocletian’s Palace complex is free to walk through at any hour — the most generous free UNESCO site in the Mediterranean.
The apartment within Diocletian’s Palace walls (€ 80–200/night; the Roman stone room with the 4th-century masonry; the sound of the Peristyle at night; the Pazar market at the back door at 7am; the most atmospheric accommodation)
A private day charter to Vis and the Biševo Blue Cave.
Ferry and catamaran bookings. Hvar catamaran (€15–20; 1h), Brač ferry (€5; 50 min), overnight Ancona service, and all island connections from Split.
Free
Books the high-speed Krilo catamaran: Split–Hvar (1h; €15–20), Split–Dubrovnik via Hvar and Korcula (3h; €35). Best option for island-hopping.
Free
Available in Split May–Oct. Meštrović Gallery (€6–9 each way), airport (€25–35), Marjan Hill trailhead (€5). Taxis at the Riva charge significantly more.
Free
Ride-hailing alternative to Uber — often cheaper in Split. Good for transfers to the airport and beach hotels on the outskirts.
Free
Download the Split offline map before arrival. Useful for navigating the palace alleys, which aren’t always correctly signed.
Free
Buy a Croatian data eSIM before travel. Cheaper than roaming and works instantly on arrival at Split Airport.
Free
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