The Heart of Adriatic
Diocletian's Palace
(UNESCO heritage site)
The historic centre of Split is built around the remains of this Roman palace. You only need to wander around to experience it but you can also pay to visit the excavated remains of the basement of the palace. The palace has well preserved main streets cardo and decumanus. Roman palace is enriched with some gothic and reinassance buildings which makes a perfect match. Palace has 4 monumental gates Porta Aurea (Zlatna vrata, Golden gate), Porta Argenta (Srebrna vrata, Silver gate), Porta Ferrea(Željezna vrata, Iron gate) and Porta Aenea (Mjedena vrata. Bronze gate). It is probably the best preserved Roman palace in general.
St. Duje's cathedral
Originally built around 305 AD as a mausoleum for the Roman emperor Diocletian (the oldest cathedral building in the world). The Cathedral is also a very beautiful mixture of Roman temple and Catholic church. It also has a beautiful belltower which provides you a great panoramic view of Split, nearby islands and Marjan hill.
Peristil square (Peristylium)
Diocletian's Palace (Croatian: Dioklecijanova palača) is a building in the centre of Split, built for the Emperor Diocletian (a native of Dalmatia) at the turn of the 4th century. On the intersection of two main roads, cardo and decumanus, there is a monumental court Peristyle with well preserved Roman architecture, from which the only access to Cathedral of St. Duje is to the east.
Marjan hill
A hill situated on the west of Split. Marjan is an oasis for many people who look for a natural stress relief, a great place for long walks, jogging, and bike rides. Marjan's peak, Telegrin is 174 m high and gives a wonderful panoramic view of Split. South cliffs are popular within alpine climbers. St. Nicholas church is situated on the east of Marjan, on it's south side are beautiful St. Jeronimus church and "Gospe od Betlema" church (Madonna of Betlehem). House building is strictly forbidden in order to save Marjan - the lungs of Split.
Poljud stadium
Poljud stadium known to locals as "Poljudska Ljepotica" (Poljud Beauty")is a second largest stadium in Croatia and has a capacity of 36,000 people. The stadium was originally constructed by the Yugoslavian government as part of the facilites for the 1979 Mediterannean Games and was officially opened by Josip Broz Tito, who was avowed fan of the team who play their home games in Poljud HNK Hajduk Split. By far the most important and revered sports team in Dalmatia, a dedicatet fanbase around the world has followed Hajduk throughout the team's history. There are numerous anecdotes about Hajduk never played without at least some of their loyal fans in the stands, the Torcida. It is the oldest supporters group in Europe. If you are going to visit some match do not go on north part, which is the cheapest one, that part is reserved for Torcida.
Solin ( Salona )
Solin is a sleepy town just 5km northeast of Split with little to recommend it except the extensive ruins of ancient Salona just outside and sandwiched between two highways.
Under the Romans, Salona was the political centre of the Dalmatia region, reaching its peak under Emperor Diocletian who built his palace in Split. Huns and Goths swept down in the middle of the 5th century announcing the end of Roman rule. Salona wound up in the Eastern Roman Empire but in 614 the Slavs and Avars moved in and levelled the town to the ground.
The ruins are relatively unvisited which allows you to calmly commune with the spirits of centuries past. The most impressive ruin is the 2nd-century amphitheatre which was destroyed by the Venetians in the 17th century. At one time it could accommodate 18,000 spectators and who knows how many gladiators fighting bears.
Fortress Klis
The Fortress of Klis (Tvrđava Klis) has a history of more than 2000 years, beginning with the Illyrian tribe called Dalmatae that used it as a stronghold before it was taken by the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the site became a seat for several Croatian kings.
Later, the Klis Fortress was pivotal in defending the Balkans against the siege of the Mongols, then the Ottomans in the 1500s.
Trogir
Trogir, a harmonious stone town on a small island that is connected to the mainland and the island of Čiovo by bridges. The old town, under UNESCO protection, is a treasure trove for lovers of art, Renaissance and Baroque buildings, Romanesque churches...
It is called the town-museum which is visible in the famous portal of Trogir cathedral by the craftsman Radovan in 1240, a Renaissance city lodge, the thousand year old Monastery of sv. Nikola [St. Nicholas] which has the ancient famous relief of Kairos preserved in it from the 4th century BC.
The small, narrow streets and small village squares, numerous restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and galleries, along with numerous cultural and music open air events give this town a special atmosphere of the Mediterranean.
Island Drvenik Veli
Drvenik is a big island of peace, untouched nature, clean sea and beautiful beaches. The coast is rugged and consists of many bays with sandy and pebbly beaches. Bay Grabule is the only protected from the all winds. On the south side of the island is beautiful bay Solinska, and on the east side is a nice place called Krknjaši.
Drvenik Veliki is a great location for those who like active holidays. There are restaurants, pizzerias and taverns on the island.
Island Brač
Brač is the gateway to Dalmatia. For centuries, people have been drawn to Brač for its natural harbors, stone work, spectacular bays, clear and clean water and its weather (they say the best in all the Adriatic).
The Island of Brač is the largest and most elevated island in central Dalmatia, 40km long and 12km wide with a population of 14.000. The highest peak is Vidova gora which offers a spectacular view of the beautiful Zlatni Rat beach and of all of the islands surrounding Brač. Tranquil coves, stunning sea and island views, traditional villages clinging to steep valley sides and bustling fishing harbours (like Supetar, Milna or Sumartin) make Brač the quintessential Dalmatian island, and the third largest of Croatia’s Adriatic islands. It’s easily reachable by ferry from Split or Makarska in 45 minutes and is a great place to spend a family holiday or partake in a few water sports
Island Hvar
It is situated in picturesque nature, facing the southern, side of the world that has given it all Mediterranean attraction and cheerfulness; facing sea, that gave it splendid and repeatable history, Hvar is an inexhaustible treasury of the scenery, atmosphere and adventure.
Its name derives from the Greek name for island and town, that stood where today Stari Grad (Hvar became an island’s centre in 13th century) stands - PHAROS.
Hvar gained glory and power during middle ages being an important port within the Venetian, naval empire. Today, it is centre of island’s tourism and one of the favourite destinations in Dalmatian riviera - a town of smiling and courteous people, who are almost only dedicated to tourism.