Split City Guide - overview

The pretty city of Split has a rich history. Since ancient times it has, in various guises, served as the economic and administrative centre of the beautiful Croatian Adriatic coastal region, today called Dalmatia. The city sits mainly on a peninsula on the eastern part of the island of Ciovo, although it has nowadays 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, who, being of Dalmatian origin, elected to build a huge palace at a spot then called Salona, in AD 303. A town grew up around the palace, and eventually, by the Middle Ages, the city of Split had begun to develop.

The Diocletian's Palace still stands in the very heart of the old part of Split, which charms visitors with its cobbled streets and Roman architecture. The greater Split area is characterised by its lush vegetation and green areas, 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 islands, beauty spots, and historic villages in central Dalmatia.

Split is also world renowned among seafarers for the quality, and quantity, of its marinas. There are 44 of them in the city area together.

Getting around: Buses connect Split to most of the nearby beach resorts from the main terminus next to the train station, and public buses also operate out of the local bus station north of the old town centre. Radio taxis are available day and night from ranks near major tourist areas and hotels, or can be ordered by telephone.