Split's old town isn't built near a Roman palace, it's built inside one. Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace, completed around 305 AD, forms the literal walls and foundations of the modern city centre, with apartments, cafés, and shops occupying spaces that once housed imperial guards.
Diocletian's Palace
The Peristyle, the palace's central courtyard, still functions as a public square, often with live a cappella klapa singing in the evenings, the acoustics of the ancient stone doing most of the work. The basement halls beneath, once storage and servant quarters, now house market stalls and Game of Thrones exhibits (Split's substructure doubled as Meereen).
Climb the bell tower of St. Domnius Cathedral, built directly on top of Diocletian's mausoleum, for a view over the palace's terracotta roofs to the Adriatic and the surrounding islands.
The Riva and Island Hopping
The Riva, Split's palm-lined waterfront promenade, is the city's social heart, an evening korzo (stroll) here, ending with a coffee at one of the harbourside cafés, is the essential local ritual.
Split is also the main ferry hub for Croatia's central Dalmatian islands, Hvar, Brač, and Vis are all reachable as day trips or overnight stays, with Zlatni Rat beach on Brač among the most photographed stretches of coast in the Adriatic.
Recommended Stay · Split · Old Town
Cornaro Hotel
A modern hotel just outside the palace walls with a rooftop bar looking directly over Diocletian's substructure to the harbour, walking distance to the ferry terminal for island day trips.
