Split: A Roman Emperor’s Retirement Home, Fully Occupied
Split is not a preserved monument. It is a living, breathing, slightly chaotic city built inside and around a Roman emperor’s retirement palace. That distinction matters enormously. Where Dubrovnik can feel like a beautiful stage set, Split feels like a place where people actually live — because they do. Locals hang laundry from windows set into 1,700-year-old walls, restaurants serve grilled fish in converted Roman cellars, and the cathedral was literally built inside the emperor’s mausoleum. I walked into Diocletian’s Palace through the Bronze Gate, and within five minutes I had passed a Roman column, a medieval church, a modern cafe, and a grandmother yelling down to the street from her apartment. That is Split in a nutshell.
The city works as a destination in a way that Diocletian, who retired here in 305 AD to grow cabbages, almost certainly did not anticipate. The ferry terminal is five minutes from the Palace, making Split the natural hub for the Dalmatian Islands. The Adriatic light, at golden hour on the Riva waterfront, is among the finest in the Mediterranean. And the food — away from the tourist-facing restaurants and in the konobas of the Varos neighbourhood — is exactly what Croatian coastal cooking should be: fresh fish, local wine, olive oil, and vegetables grown on the island terraces nearby.
The Arrival
The airport bus from Split Airport deposits you at the ferry terminal, and from there the Riva waterfront promenade is a two-minute walk. On my first arrival I turned a corner and there was the Riva — palm trees, café terraces, yachts, and behind it the stone towers of Diocletian's Palace rising against the late afternoon sky. Split has one of the great first impressions in Europe.
Why Split Works As a Base
Split is not just a destination — it is a base. The Jadrolinija ferry company runs fast catamarans to Hvar (1 hour), Brac (50 minutes), Vis (2 hours), Korcula (3 hours), and other islands from the terminal five minutes from the Palace. A week in Split with daily island excursions gives you the full Dalmatian coast experience at a fraction of the cost of staying on Hvar itself. The city rewards both the day-tripper and the longer-term visitor.
What Should You Do in Split?
Diocletian’s Palace — Living History
The Palace was built between 295-305 AD as Emperor Diocletian’s retirement villa — a fortified complex of 30,000 square metres containing imperial apartments, temples, a mausoleum, garrison quarters, and service buildings. After Diocletian’s death, it passed through Byzantine, medieval Croatian, and Venetian hands, gradually being converted into a city. By the 7th century, Slavic refugees fleeing Avar invasions moved in and never left. Today approximately 3,000 people live within the Palace walls and another 220 businesses operate there.
Enter through the Bronze Gate (south, facing the Riva) for the most dramatic entrance — you pass through the subterranean vaulted cellars that once supported the imperial apartments, now a warren of market stalls and museum spaces. Exit north through the Golden Gate, east through the Silver Gate, or west through the Iron Gate. The four gates connect to the four cardinal points, and the cross-street grid within the Palace follows the original Roman urban plan.
Key sites within the Palace:
- Peristyle — The central open square where Diocletian received subjects. Now surrounded by cafes and a medieval church. At the east end, the vestibule of the imperial apartments (free to enter) opens to the sky — a circular Roman hall of extraordinary proportions.
- Cathedral of Saint Domnius (Katedrala Sveti Duje) — Built inside Diocletian’s octagonal mausoleum in the 7th century, it is the world’s oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use. Entry EUR 5-8 depending on which combination of sites. Climb the campanile (bell tower) for panoramic views.
- Temple of Jupiter (Jupiterov hram) — A 4th-century Roman temple now functioning as a baptistery, with the original coffered barrel vault intact. EUR 5 entry.
- Subterranean halls (Vestibul/Podrumi) — The cellars beneath the imperial apartments, preserved in their original Roman form. Entry EUR 8-10.
The Riva
The Riva (officially Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda) is Split’s seafront promenade — a wide, palm-lined esplanade facing the harbour, lined with café terraces, tourists, and locals promenading at all hours. The morning coffee ritual on the Riva (café, water, cigarette optional) is an institution among Split residents. In the evening, the Riva fills with an energetic crowd that treats it as the city’s living room.
The harbour at the eastern end of the Riva is where the ferry catamaran terminal sits — Jadrolinija ferries to Hvar, Brac, and other islands depart from here. Watching the island ferries come and go while drinking coffee is a very pleasant way to spend a morning.
Marjan Hill
The Marjan peninsula west of the Palace is a forested hill of 178 metres that serves as Split’s park, viewpoint, and escape from the summer heat. Walking paths lead up through pine and holm oak forest past small medieval chapels — the most interesting is the Meštrović Chapel (not to be confused with the Meštrović Gallery at the peninsula’s base). From the summit Telegrin there are panoramic views of the Adriatic, the Dalmatian islands stretching west, and Split spread below. The walk up takes 20-30 minutes from the Varos neighbourhood.
Adriatic Life
I sat at a konoba table in the Varos neighbourhood at noon on a September day — grilled sea bass with Swiss chard and olive oil, a glass of Pošip from Korcula, the smell of the sea from somewhere nearby. Outside, a cat slept on the warm stone. Down the street, through a gap in the buildings, you could see the Adriatic glittering. This is what the Dalmatian coast tastes like.
Island Day Trip: Hvar
The Jadrolinija catamaran from Split ferry terminal to Hvar Town takes 1 hour and costs EUR 7-10 each way (buy tickets at the terminal). Hvar is Croatia’s most famous island — a medieval stone town with a UNESCO main square, lavender fields in the interior, yacht-lined harbour, and turquoise water swimming at the Pakleni Islands (water taxi from Hvar harbour, €3-5 return).
The views from the Fortica fortress above Hvar Town are extraordinary. The lavender is in bloom in June. The nightlife on the Hula-Hula Beach Bar and the main square terrace bars is the most glamorous in Croatia. Hvar Town restaurants are expensive but excellent — budget €30-50 for a proper dinner with wine.
Island Day Trip: Brac
The slower car ferry to Brac (50 minutes to Supetar, €5-8 each way) reaches the island with Croatia’s most famous beach — Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) near the village of Bol on the south coast. The beach’s distinctive horn-shaped spit of white pebbles extends into the Adriatic, changing shape with the tides and wind. Bus from Supetar to Bol takes 60 minutes. Swimming is excellent June through September. Return the same day easily.
- Getting There: Airport bus from Split Airport (SPU) to the ferry terminal costs €5-6 and takes 30 minutes. Taxis run €25-35. From Dubrovnik, the bus takes 4.5 hours (€15-20) along one of the most scenic coastal roads in Europe — worth taking during the day for the views.
- Best Time: May and September are the two finest months. May for the city at its most uncrowded and affordable. September for the best swimming temperatures (sea at 25-26°C) and the city returning to its natural rhythm after the August frenzy. October is excellent for walking and sightseeing with almost no tourists.
- Money: Croatia adopted the euro in January 2023. Ferry to Hvar costs €7-10. Coffee on the Riva is €2.50-3.50. Dinner at a good konoba in Varos runs €20-35. Avoid restaurants directly facing the Riva or within the Palace tourist core — walk to Varos for better food at lower prices.
- Don't Miss: The Meštrović Gallery (Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 46, 3km from the Palace by bus or taxi) — one of the finest one-artist sculpture museums in Europe. Ivan Meštrović was Croatia's greatest sculptor and the gallery he designed to house his work is magnificent. Entry €10.
- Avoid: August — the peak of Croatian tourism season. The Palace fills to uncomfortable capacity, accommodation triples in price, and the ferry queues for Hvar are long. May, September, and October offer the same experiences without the chaos.
- Local Phrase: "Hvala!" (HVAH-lah) — Thank you in Croatian. Dalmatian Croatians are warm, direct, and accustomed to international visitors — English is widely spoken. Learning a few phrases is appreciated regardless.
Where Should You Eat in Split?
Split’s food scene divides clearly between the tourist restaurants within the Palace and on the Riva (pricey, average quality) and the neighbourhood konobas in Varos and the streets behind the Palace (excellent, fair prices). Always walk two blocks further from the tourist core before sitting down.
Dalmatian Table
Octopus peka arrived — slow-cooked under an iron bell (peka) buried in embers for two hours, with potatoes and rosemary, falling-apart tender and extraordinary. With a carafe of local Plavac Mali red wine, for two people at a Varos konoba: €38 total. Dalmatian food, done properly, is among the finest in Europe.
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Konoba Matejuška (Tomića Stine 3, Varos) — The most trusted konoba in Split among local food lovers. Octopus salad, grilled fish, prstaci (date mussels in garlic and white wine). Mains EUR 15-22. Reserve for dinner.
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Fife (Trumbićeva obala 11, Riva) — Split’s most beloved institution — a no-frills lunch restaurant on the Riva that serves cheap, enormous portions of Dalmatian classics to dockworkers, fishermen, and tourists with equal indifference. Full meal with wine under €12. Cash only.
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Nostromo (Kraj sv. Marije 10, Old Town) — Fresh fish and seafood, delivered that morning from the Split fish market. Excellent pasta with sea urchin and grilled sea bass. Mains EUR 20-32.
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Bokeria Kitchen and Wine Bar (Domaldova 8) — The best modern Croatian restaurant in Split, with creative interpretations of Dalmatian classics and an extraordinary local wine list (Pošip, Grk, Plavac Mali). Mains EUR 18-28.
Where Should You Stay in Split?
Your Split Base
Staying within or immediately adjacent to Diocletian's Palace is the ultimate Split experience — you wake up inside a Roman ruin. It is also more expensive and sometimes noisier than staying in the surrounding residential areas. The Varos neighbourhood west of the Palace is an excellent alternative: quieter, slightly cheaper, five minutes' walk to the Riva.
Split accommodation is good value compared to Dubrovnik or Hvar, particularly in shoulder season. Book ahead for July and August — the city fills completely.
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Budget: Stari Grad Hostel (Hrvojeva 4, near the Palace) — Clean, social hostel near the Varos neighbourhood and the Palace. Dorm beds from EUR 18-25 in shoulder season.
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Mid-Range: Hotel Vestibul Palace (Iza Vestibula 4, inside the Palace) — The most extraordinary hotel location in Split — three rooms and a suite inside the original vestibule of Diocletian’s imperial apartments, inside the Palace walls. Doubles from EUR 140-250 depending on season.
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Luxury: Cornaro Hotel (Ban Jelačića 6, near the Palace) — The finest full-service hotel in Split, with a rooftop pool, spa, excellent restaurant, and rooms with Palace views. Doubles from EUR 200-380 in peak season.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Split?
May is superb — uncrowded, warm enough for swimming from mid-month, all island ferries running, and accommodation at 40-50% below August prices.
September is arguably the finest month — sea temperature peaks (25-26°C), the city empties of tourists after August, and the Dalmatian light in autumn is extraordinary.
October is increasingly popular for walking and sightseeing — warm days, empty beaches, excellent konoba dining, and prices returning to off-season levels.
Final Thoughts
Split is the Croatian coast done properly — not a preserved museum piece but a city with genuine life, extraordinary Roman heritage, and the best island access on the Adriatic. The secret is timing: come in May, June, September, or October when the city breathes rather than suffocates under tourist pressure. And eat in the Varos neighbourhood, not on the Riva. With those two things right, Split delivers a Dalmatian experience that stays with you long after the ferry back to the mainland.