Finding the Roman Empire in Split

We're now in the city of Split, the second largest city in Croatia in the heart of the Dalmatian Coast along the Adriatic Sea.  Split owes its origins to the Roman Empire, namely the Emperor Diocletian (245-313) who was native to Dalmatia and built a huge palace here for his retirement.  After his death and the fall of the Roman Empire, a medieval town took root sometime in the 7th century.  The Venetian Empire took over the Dalmatian coast in the 15th century, developing and fortifying Split, and with that came the introduction of Gothic-Renaissance architecture.

Seeing Roman brick arches in the cellar

Today, the Old Town of Split is rooted within all of the development that has occurred within Diocletian's Palace.  The palace, or more accurately what's left of it, is a UNESCO Heritage site.  You can still see the Roman influence and architecture throughout.  For example, what was the basement or cellar of the palace is now a shopping court.  You can still see the original Roman bricks forming the arches atop all of the stone columns. Dioletian's mausoleum became the Cathedral of St. Domnius, and Jupiter's Temple became St. John's Baptistry.  Much like Dubrovnik and Trogir, the Old Town is a maze of stone alleyways and buildings.  Although we saw hints of Roman architecture in other places we've visited, the center of Split is unquestionably from Roman times.

Bell Tower at Cathedral of St. Domnius

Split is also a major hub for ferries traversing to and from many of the outlying islands.  It has a large harbor with ferries, cruise ships, and yachts all coming and going throughout the day.  We took the ferry to the nearby island of Hvar and spent a lovely morning walking the town and enjoying the beach there.  Split's harbor is near the waterfront promenade known as The Riva which is constantly full of people.  Being here on a Saturday night showed us that a lot of people get dressed to the nines as they parade about the Riva.

With all off the hustle and bustle of Split, there is still a large swath of parkland called Park Šuma Marjan. This is a forested hillside on the western end of Split that is very popular with the locals who hike, bike, and jog here.  We visited the park as it has

The Peristyle (main square)
Entrance to Diocletian's residence

one of the highest points with great views of both the city as well as the Adriatic and outlying islands.

Our time here in Split is quickly coming to an end.  We'll be visiting national parks for the next two days, trading our bathing suits and beach towels for hiking boots.