Split

Croatia’s second city is a brash and captivatingly energetic hub, with a population of over 200,000 – but the old center is surprisingly compact and easily manageable on foot. It’s a lively, friendly city, and the café terraces along the front are packed practically all year round. The main draw is Diocletian’s Roman palace, just along the Riva from the port – still stunning after more than 1,700 years of builders’ alterations. Being Roman Emperor, Diocletian no doubt had a monster ego, but even he can’t have imagined his retirement home would be so well worth visiting in the 3rd millennium. Fast, regular ferries run out to the ...

Croatia’s second city is a brash and captivatingly energetic hub, with a population of over 200,000 – but the old center is surprisingly compact and easily manageable on foot. It’s a lively, friendly city, and the café terraces along the front are packed practically all year round. The main draw is Diocletian’s Roman palace, just along the Riva from the port – still stunning after more than 1,700 years of builders’ alterations. Being Roman Emperor, Diocletian no doubt had a monster ego, but even he can’t have imagined his retirement home would be so well worth visiting in the 3rd millennium. Fast, regular ferries run out to the nearby islands of Brac and Solta and the farther-away Korcula and Hvar, and just 16 miles up the coast there’s the lovely, UNESCO-listed old island-town of Trogir, one of the most attractive stops in Dalmatia. Come here to soak up a pleasantly uncorrupted medieval atmosphere, where stone-carved balconies overhang the narrow streets, and Renaissance and Gothic palaces compete for your attention with an ancient cathedral.

About the Expert

Piers Letcher is the author of Croatia: the Bradt Travel Guide, Dubrovnik: the Bradt City Guide, and coauthor of Zagreb: the Bradt City Guide.