A Guide for a Three-Day Trip to Split

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Split is the largest city on the Croatian coast and the second-largest city in Croatia. It is hard to imagine that today's Split developed from the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, who after leaving the throne decided to build a magnificent palace in his homeland. With the fall of the Roman Empire, life inside the former palace has continued to this day. Walking through the streets of the center of Split, you can see all past epochs from Roman times, through the Middle Ages to the present. It is therefore not surprising that the city with such a rich history offers an infinite amount of experiences to every visitor. In order not to miss the most important, read the guide below.

Day 1

1. Diocletian's Palace - Diocletian's Palace in Split is one of the main sights of Croatia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fascinating place to explore. If, however, you think of a palace like Versailles, think again because this palace is actually more like a city within a city. The Roman emperor Diocletian decided to build a palace for the peaceful days of old age in his homeland. The construction began in 295 and for ten years he supervised the extraction of stone from neighboring Brac and the construction of the palace.

2. Cathedral of St. Domnius - Among European cathedrals, Split has the oldest building - the mausoleum of the Roman emperor Diocletian. In it, history reconciles pagan ancient, Christian medieval and modern heritage. The mausoleum of the emperor-persecutor of Christians became a cathedral in the middle of the 7th century.

3. Basements of Diocletian's Palace - Basements of Diocletian's Palace are one of the best-preserved ancient complexes of its kind in the world, and are largely the reason why the historic center of Split in 1979 was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. To this day the basements are still full of life. Here are regularly organized painting and sculpture exhibitions, theater performances, fairs such as the International Flower Festival, gastronomic and oenological events, and many other social and cultural events.

4. Restaurant Perivoj - Restaurant Perivoj is located in a beautiful Art Nouveau villa and its lush garden, just a few hundred meters from Diocletian's Palace. The food offered consists of traditional Mediterranean specialties, including pizza. The wine list offers a good selection of great wines.

5. Church of St. Martin - In the northern part of Diocletian's Palace, in the wall above the Golden Gate is the early Christian church of St. Martin. The current look of the church is a replica of an early Christian church from the 6th century, with a pre-Romanesque altar partition from the 11th century. This smallest and one of the oldest churches in Split is only 1.64 meters wide and 10 meters long. The space in which it is located originally served as a passage for the guards who guarded the northern entrance to Diocletian's Palace.

6. Riva - Split waterfront, known as Riva, is the city's living room, the most popular and most important public space in Split. Its appearance has been changed several times, but it has always been marked by the spectacular scenery provided by the south facade of Diocletian's Palace. Today's Riva is a pedestrian paradise, adorned with an uninterrupted number of cafes and restaurants, an ideal place to drink morning or afternoon coffee, or for an evening out and hanging out with friends over a drink.

Day 2

7. Bacvice Beach - Bacvice Beach is a legendary beach in Split and you should definitely visit it during your stay in Split. It is the main city beach, in fact, a natural phenomenon - a sandy beach in the heart of a big city. Bacvice is the place where the game Picigin originated. Picigin is a game with a ball in the shallow sea, and it has gained so much popularity throughout Dalmatia that it has even been declared a cultural heritage.

8. Pjaca - Pjaca or Narodni Square is first mentioned in the 13th century. Each building on the Pjaca has its own story, each is a witness to history and the city spirit. So it was yesterday, so it is today, when the Pjaca is filled with numerous cafes, restaurants and shops, and when it has become one of the most important points for tourists who want to enjoy what their hosts, the people of Split, enjoy.

9. Restaurant Mediterraneo - Restaurant Mediterraneo is located on one of the stone squares of Diocletian's Palace. In such a beautiful, truly Mediterranean atmosphere, traditional and modern dishes from all over the Mediterranean area are served. Special emphasis is placed on ingredients, which are fresh and local. There is also a wine list with quality wines that will perfectly complement any dish.

10. Temple of Jupiter - The famous Scottish architect Robert Adam considered this temple one of the most beautiful European monuments. Rectangular in plan, the temple served to celebrate the cult of Jupiter. The transformation into the Baptistery took place in late antiquity, and a crypt was built under the building. In front of the temple is one of several completely or partially preserved granite sphinxes brought by Diocletian from Egypt.

11. West Coast - Completely paved with white Brac stone, with moored luxury yachts and restaurants West Coast is a new popular gathering place for the people of Split and their guests. The West Coast is not only a place where you can enjoy the most spectacular view of Split while drinking coffee, but you can also find out which Split athletes won Olympic medals and thus promoted their city around the world. On the part of the promenade right by the sea, bronze plaques with the name and surname of the winner of the Olympic medal were placed.

Day 3

After carefully researching the best that Split has to offer in the first two days, it's time to discover the charms of the surroundings. Solin and Trogir are two real gems in the immediate vicinity of Split.

12. Solin - Solin is a small town only 5 km away from Split. Solin developed on the site of the ancient city of Salona, ​​which was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and the birthplace of Emperor Diocletian. Tourism has been developing recently on the basis of numerous archeological sites. Also known as the cradle of Croatian history, this city is rich in historical and cultural heritage as evidenced by numerous impressive archaeological sites, the remains of walls with towers and gates, an ancient amphitheater and numerous cultural and entertainment facilities that will delight every visitor.

13. Trogir - Beautiful Trogir is located only 30 kilometers from Split. The city has a long history dating back to 380 BC. The charming old town of Trogir was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 due to its age, culture and numerous sights. The city is rich in numerous activities, cultural heritage, historic buildings, beautiful beaches, hotels, bars and restaurants, and provides visitors with a vacation to remember.

Guide Type

Combined

Itinerary

Guide Location

Traveler type

All types of travelers

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Florian

Florian

09/11/2021

It is because of the guide that i did not miss the most important places, attractions and sights at Split. The guide helped me to choose foods such as pizza with offers and sold at an affordable price. I witnessed the history and the lovely spirit of the city at Pjaca.
Berend

Berend

08/11/2021

I had an infinite of experiences at Split, Day 1 i toured 3 locations out of the suggested 6 by the guide. I loved the romanesque style of the Church of St. Martin. Day 2 and 3, i visited 4 places out of the 7, and i loved everything about the tour, thanks for the guide.
August

August

27/10/2021

Split is such a good city. I enjoyed every moment I spent here thanks to the guide. The guide helped me know of all places I wanted to visit with Split. It was very diverse.
William

William

19/10/2021

I used the guide to learn more about these sites and they were all very useful. The part that I enjoyed most was the restaurant perivoj because it was fresh and served different types of seafood, like mussels and octopus, which were both delicious! I enjoyed being here.
Veerle

Veerle

15/10/2021

Split is a very popular city in Croatia. When I visited this place I did not know which places I was to visit but its architectural design, structures and planning was fascinating. I came across the guide and I was mesmerized with how detailed it was. It had a list of all the places within Split.
Altina

Altina

14/10/2021

We toured the ancient amphitheater, i loved its interior design and also the film displayed here. The guide was informative about the interesting places we toured, it gave us a clear picture of what to see. We were not disappointed, everything was as stated by the guide.
Marthijn

Marthijn

09/10/2021

Pjaca National square was the first inhabited place in Split aside from the Diocletian Palace. The guides breaks down the history of this location in detail and I had an eventful learning experience. I will visit again soon to tour the beautiful ancient buildings in this location.
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