Flight time
2h 40m
Best season
May–June & September
Budget
Budget to mid-range
Best for
Roman palace, Adriatic, islands, seafood
Overview
Why Split for a city break?
Split is one of the most remarkable cities in Europe — people actually live inside a Roman imperial palace. Diocletian's Palace, built as the retirement home of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in AD 305, has been continuously inhabited for 1,700 years: today its ancient corridors, cellars and peristyle house apartments, bars, restaurants and shops. The medieval city grew within the palace walls, layering Gothic and Renaissance architecture over Roman foundations. The Adriatic is at the palace's feet. The islands — Hvar, Brač, Vis — are a ferry ride away.
From most UK airports it's just under three hours — direct flights from London, Manchester, Bristol and several regional airports. Split Airport is 25km from the city (bus €5, 30 minutes, or ferry from Trogir). Go in May, June or September: the Adriatic is warm enough to swim, the city is alive but not overwhelmed, and the ferry connections to the islands run frequently. July and August are extraordinary but the old town fills with visitors and the heat is significant. Split is an ideal base: Dubrovnik is 3.5 hours by catamaran; Mostar is 2.5 hours by bus; Hvar is 60 minutes by ferry.
Where to stay & explore
Split's best neighbourhoods
Diocletian's Palace
The living ancient palace — bars in former Roman cellars, apartments behind 3rd-century walls, the peristyle square at the centre. The finest ancient monument in the Adriatic.
Veli Varoš
The old Dalmatian neighbourhood immediately west of the palace — steep stone lanes, fig trees over walls, laundry between houses, and the most authentic residential character in Split.
Meje & Bačvice
The seafront districts east of the palace — the Riva promenade, Bačvice beach (famous for picigin, the local shallow-water ball game), and the finest sunset cafés in the city.
Things to do
What to see in Split
1
Diocletian's Palace
The most intact Roman imperial palace in the world — built as Diocletian's retirement home between AD 293 and 305, the 30,000 sq metre complex has been continuously inhabited ever since. The Peristyle (the former ceremonial courtyard, now an open square with a café), the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (built inside Diocletian's mausoleum — the emperor's tomb was eventually converted into the church that imprisons him), the Roman Vestibule and the extensive underground cellars (where the palace's original plan can be read most clearly) are all extraordinary. The cellars host a daily market of local crafts and produce.
2
Cathedral of Saint Domnius & Bell Tower
The oldest cathedral in the world still in continuous use — built inside the mausoleum of Diocletian, the Roman emperor who persecuted Christians, the cathedral is a perfect example of the irony of history. The Romanesque-Gothic bell tower alongside it (climb it for the finest view of the palace and the Adriatic) took 300 years to build. The interior has a 13th-century pulpit, Romanesque choir stalls and a remarkable treasury.
3
Hvar island day trip
The most beautiful island on the Adriatic — the catamaran from Split takes 60 minutes to Hvar Town (€9 each way), where the Venetian Renaissance harbour, the hilltop fortress with its extraordinary view over the Pakleni Islands, the lavender fields and the turquoise coves make for one of the finest days on the Croatian coast. The catamaran also serves Vis (90 minutes) — wilder, quieter, with the Blue Cave on the nearby island of Biševo.
4
Mestrović Gallery
Ivan Meštrović — the greatest Croatian sculptor of the 20th century — built his Split villa as both his home and his gallery. The collection of 190 sculptures in the house, chapel and garden is extraordinary, and the building's setting above the sea west of the city is the finest in Split. Allow 90 minutes. Book online.
Food & drink
Where to eat in Split
Konoba Marjan
Dalmatian konoba / Veli Varoš
The finest traditional restaurant in Split — in the Veli Varoš neighbourhood above the palace, a family-run konoba serving perfectly grilled fish, black risotto, octopus salad and local Plavac Mali wine. The fish is whatever the boat brought that morning. Book ahead; small and always full.
Corto Maltese Café
Wine bar & bistro
The best wine bar in the palace walls — a relaxed, knowledgeable bar with an exceptional list of Dalmatian wines (Plavac Mali, Pošip, Grk), served with excellent pršut (Dalmatian prosciutto), local cheeses and anchovies. In a Roman-era corridor below street level. Open late.
Paradox Wine & Cheese Bar
Wine bar / Diocletian's cellars
Housed in the Roman cellars of the palace — the setting (arched stone ceilings, ancient walls) is extraordinary and the Croatian wine and cheese selection is excellent. The best introduction to the Dalmatian wine culture that most visitors to Croatia completely overlook.
Itinerary
3 days in Split — a suggested itinerary
Day 1
Arrive inside the palace, the cellars, the Riva at sunset
Bus from Split Airport to the bus station (€5, 30 minutes); the old town is a 10-minute walk. Check in — stay inside or immediately beside the palace walls. Walk immediately into the Golden Gate and the palace interior: the Vestibule, the Peristyle (sit here with a coffee and feel the layers of history), the Cathedral built inside the emperor's mausoleum. The palace cellars in the afternoon — the full extent of the Roman plan is visible here, and the market of local crafts is excellent. The Riva promenade for aperitivo as the sun sets over the Adriatic: the palm-lined waterfront, the fishing boats, the mountain backdrop. Corto Maltese for wine before dinner at Konoba Marjan.
Day 2
Hvar by catamaran, an Adriatic afternoon
Catamaran from Split harbour to Hvar Town (60 minutes, book ahead in July/August). The Venetian harbour, the main square (Trg Svetog Stjepana, the largest in Dalmatia), the hilltop fortress with its extraordinary panorama over the Pakleni Islands. Hire a water taxi from Hvar Town to the Pakleni Islands for swimming — the water clarity in these coves is extraordinary. Lunch at one of the Hvar konobas. Return catamaran to Split in the late afternoon. Dinner in the palace: the restaurants on the Peristyle square in the evening, with the floodlit cathedral above.
Day 3
Meštrović Gallery, Bačvice beach, ferry connections
Meštrović Gallery at 9am (book online) — the sculpture collection in the architect-built villa above the sea. Walk back along the coastal path to the Riva. Bačvice beach east of the palace for a final swim — the shallow sandy beach where Split's picigin ball game is played is the most social beach in the city. Lunch at one of the Bačvice seafront restaurants. Split is an ideal mid-point on a Croatia itinerary: ferries south to Dubrovnik (the overnight ferry is comfortable and spectacular), buses east to Mostar (2.5 hours, extraordinary city), or a final night in the palace before the morning flight.
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