About the City
The story of Split is already 17 centuries old, dating to the time the Roman Emperor Diocletian decided to build his Palace right on the peninsula near the great Roman city Salona, where he wanted to spend the last years of his life. During these 1700 years the Palace slowly turned into a city, which to this day lures with its rich tradition, glorious history and beauty of its natural and cultural heritage.
Diocletian Palace and the entire historical core of Split have been on the World Heritage UNESCO list ever since 1979, and not only for the extraordinary preservation of the Palace, but also because the Palace and its city continue to live a full life. All historical layers from the old Rome, middle ages till today are still visible and alive in this structure.
Such stratification is mirrored in everyday life of Split. Local inhabitants sit in the same cafes, restaurants, shop in the same stores as tourists, giving them the impression that, by arriving to Split, they became a part of the city and its rhythm.
Split is much more than glorious architectural scenery. Split is also a venue for excellent gourmet and vine experiences, numerous cultural happenings like film and theatre festivals, exhibitions, excellent museums and concerts, a city which offers eclectic modes of entertainment starting with numerous clubs and bars, through street festivals to events such as Ultra Europe Festival visited each year by up to 100 thousand young people from around one hundred countries of the world. Split with its sport results is something only a handful of cities of similar size around the world can boast about as it is the home of a dozen Olympic medal winners as well as other sports medals.
When you tire of the city bustle, there’s Marjan, hill symbol over the city, with its forest, jogging trails, mountain climbing and biking, recreational terrains, but also the ancient churches where the late citizens of Split sought spiritual peace. Also very unusual to find in a city the size of Split are the numerous beaches with extraordinarily clean sea, from the well-known Bačvice to the stone secluded oases’ all around Marjan.
After all that’s said are you at all surprised that citizens of Split have a saying "There is no place like Split”?
For a long time Split was used as a transit city to the Dalmatian islands, but in the last years it has developed into a tourism center attracting more and more tourists who come specifically to feel this unique city with “split” personality. Most come to enjoy a rear Mediterranean jewel still not greatly changed by processes of globalization. Many come to feel the beats of the most temperament, most beautiful and craziest (as it is called locally) city in Croatia. Some come to witness “picigin” - a traditional ball game characteristic for Split (it is played on the beach in shallow water consisting of players keeping a small ball from touching the water and it is practiced during the whole year no matter how cold it gets). Others come in quest for searching inner peace by trying to achieve a state of “Fjaka” (definition of “FJAKA“: a psychophysical condition of aspiration towards nothing. It is a common mistake to perceive “fjaka” as laziness. As opposed to the latter, “fjaka” is a sublime state of mind and body to which the entire mankind aspires. While “fjaka” in India and elsewhere is achieved through a life-long starvation and meditation, in Dalmatia it is a God-given talent.)
The award for this hard work towards ever increasing number of guests is the title of the Croatian tourism Champion for the year 2012 and 2017.
Welcome to the heart of Dalmatia!
Welcome to our home town: SPLIT!