Split Travel Guide

The pretty city of Split has a rich history. Since ancient times, it has served in various guises as the economic and administrative centre of the beautiful Croatian Adriatic coastal region, today called Dalmatia.

The city is mainly sprawled on a peninsula on the eastern part of the island of Ciovo, although it has spread onto the mainland and encompasses the mouth of the River Cetina. From the 5th to the 2nd century BC, Greek colonists settled the mainland and adjacent islands.

Later came the Romans, in particular the Emperor Diocletian. Being of Dalmatian origin, he elected to build a huge palace at a spot then called Salona in the year 303 AD. A town grew around the palace and by the Middle Ages, the city of Split had begun to develop.

Diocletian's Palace still stands in the very heart of the old quarter of Split, charming visitors with its cobbled streets and classical architecture. The greater region is characterised by lush vegetation and verdant greenery, particularly Marjan Hill on the west of the peninsula with its ancient indigenous forest.

The city makes an ideal base from which to explore the wondrous islands, beautiful locations and historic villages in central Dalmatia. Split is also world renowned among seafarers for the quality of its some 44 marinas, drawing yachts and catamarans from all over Europe and making it a great cruising destination in the Adriatic.