Split

The pretty city of Split has a rich history. Since ancient times, it has served in various guises 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. Being of Dalmatian origin, he elected to build a huge palace at a spot then called Salona in the year 303. A town grew up around the palace and eventually, by the Middle Ages, the city of Split had begun to develop.

Diocletian's Palace still stands in the very heart of the old part of Split, which charms visitors with its cobbled streets and classical architecture. The greater region 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, beautiful locations, and historic villages in central Dalmatia. Split is also world renowned among seafarers for the quality and quantity of its marinas. There are about 44 of them in the city area altogether, drawing yachts and catamarans from all over Europe and making it a great cruising destination in the Adriatic.