Split (Croatia)

View of one of the beaches from Marjan Park

Split has a long history of being a beach town, beginning with the Roman emperor Diocletian and his palace. Diocletian was actually born along the Dalmatian coast. Dalmatia was everything facing Italy across the Adriatic Sea. Perhaps a better question is how a Dalmatian became a Roman emperor. Diocletian rose up the ranks through the military (Dalmatia was a province of Rome). When the emperor died, Diocletian took over as emperor. Yet, he still wanted to return to his home province of Dalmatia. Therefore, he built his palace in Split as a place to retire. For a palace completed in 305 AD, it has many engineering feats. The emperor's quarters are built over the sea. Diocletian didn't want to have to go up and down steps to get to and from the water. Therefore, a "basement" of arches was built on the seaside in order to put all of the ground floor of the palace on the same level.

Facade from Diocletian's Palace.
This was originally built over the water.

Only the emperor's quarters faced the ocean. There were multiple windows that allowed in the fresh sea breeze as well as the sound of the waves. Diocletian entertained guests here. He even had a fountain that gurgled continually with wine. Diocletian's servants and guards each had a respective quarter in the section of the palace furthest from the sea. Some of the artifacts that Diocletian imported for his palace included sphinxes from Egypt.

Diocletian & the changing of the guards

Today, the sphinxes remain, as well as Diocletian's mausoleum. In fact, the entire palace complex is still in use today. And, not just for the daily noon changing of the Roman guards and visit of the emperor and empress. The "basement" section now houses a variety of vendor stalls for any kind of souvenir. There are restaurants scattered throughout the ground level. There's even a hotel inside the palace; but, it'll set you back 1000 Euros/night.

View from Vidilica Cafe overlooking Split

Outside of Diocletian's palace, Split has much to offer for the summer tourists. The rocky beaches are full of sunbathers and the clear water is full of swimmers. But, my favorite part outside of the palace is Marjan Park. It is a peninsula of Split just west of Diocletian's Palace. Follow the clearly marked signs to climb up the steps to the park. Stop for a refreshment at a Vidilica cafe next to the Old Jewish Cemetery for amazing views. Marjan Park itself is home to small chapels and hermitages from the 13th century through the Renaissance. Some of these are dug out of the side of the rock walls.

Hermitage in Marjan Park

But, just before spending an entire afternoon hiking around Marjan Park in the hot sun, I stopped at the farmers' market for refreshments There were fruits, vegetables, meats, flowers, food vendors. I picked up some fresh figs and had cevapi. Delicious street food at most reasonable prices.

Farmers' market