It is the seat of the Split - Dalmatian County and the biggest city in Dalmatia (189,388 inhabitants). Split is cultural, economic, traffic, scientific, sport and tourist metropolis of Dalmatia. The airport is located 23 kilometers from the city. It has two ports: one for passengers and ferryboats, and other for trade ships. It also has train and bus station. Split lies on the peninsula between the bay of Kastela and the Channel of Split. In the west is the hill Marjan (178 m). Kozjak (780 m) and Mosor (1,330 m) protect it from the north and north-east, and separate it from the inland. The climate is Mediterranean; the average period of sun per day through the whole year is 7 hours (in July it can he even 12 hours). In the surrounding area and in the city people grow fruit, vegetables and flowers, but you can also see some tropic species (cactuses, palms, agaves). It has good ship and ferryboat connections with the neighboring islands. Split is the city of youth and temperament sport fans. The modern stadium 'Poljud' and many other sport objects provide facilities for all sorts of sport and other events.
Since the early antiquity, the Illyrian-Greek settlement Aspalathos existed on the location of the present city. At the end of the 3rd century A.D., the emperor Diocletian built his luxurious palace in which he was also buried. Today, it is the cultural and historical monument under the protection of UNESCO. The diocese of Solin has been restored in the 7th century. In the 9th century, Split was an important city in the Byzantine themate of Dalmatia, and the extensive immigration of Slavic inhabitants into the city begins already in the 9th and 10th century. During the reign of the king Petar Kresimir IV Split was also formally united with the Croatia. Since 1105 it accepts the sovereignty of Croatian-Hungarian kings. In the 12th and 13th century, Split underwent the economic prosperity and since 1207 it can even choose its own priors. In 1420 it came under Venice, and in the 16th century it is seriously threatened by the Turkish invasion. The 16th and 17th century were times of strong disputes between the citizens and the nobility, and epidemic of plague and cholera. Only at the end of the 17th century the city gradually recovered. After the fall of Venice, Split came under the rule of Austria that gave it to France through the Pozun Peace Treaty in 1805. In the period between 1813 and 1818 it is under Austria again. In the second half of the 19th century the city is divided by the struggle between the National Party and the Autonomists. It ends with the victory of the National Party on elections in 1882. During the World War II it was under the Italian and German occupation.
The oldest core of the city is within the walls of the Diocletian's palace that was built in the 3rd century A.D. It has ground plan in the shape of the irregular rectangle, and considering the inner structure it is a mixture between Roman villa rustica, and fortified military camp. The palace has large cellars and it also had a porch. In the center of the southern facade are the Brass Gates (Porta Aenea), on the eastern wall there are the Silver Gates (Porta Argentea), in the north the Golden Gates (Porta Aurea), and in the west the Iron Gates (Porta Ferrea). Inside the palace there is the church of St. Dominik from the 13th century, and the King Tomislav Field with the church of St. Filip Neri from 1735. When you pass the renaissance church of St. Rok from 1516, you come to the peristil, the central open space of the palace. Between the pillars of the protiron there are two chapels: the chapel of Our lady of Belt from 1544 and of Our Lady of Conception from 1650. Through the protiron you reach the vestibul, the circular space with a dome above. On the eastern side of the peristil, there is the mausoleum of the emperor Diocletian, present cathedral of St. Dujam, that almost completely preserved its original appearance. The monumental wooden door, the work of Andrija Buvina, and the stone pulpit from the 13th century, are numbered among the oldest monuments in the mausoleum-cathedral. The cathedral chorus benches from the 13th century are the oldest ones in Dalmatia. The crypt below the cathedral was later turned into the chapel of St. Lucija. The building beside the cathedral houses sacristy, treasury and archive. The Romanesque belfry was built from the 13th to the 17th century. There are two Romanesque stone lions at the foot of the cathedral, and on the wall on the right, there is a sphinx of black granite from the 15th century B.C. Opposite to the mausoleum, there is a small temple probably consecrated to Jupiter. Only cella remained, with rich decoration on portal. Later it was turned to baptistery of the cathedral. There is also the oldest known monument of medieval Split - the stone arch with motive of astragal from the 7th century that was built in the bases of the building in front of the baptistery. On the right from the Golden Gates there is the Papalic Palace from the 15th century, the most important monument of the Gothic architecture in Split (present Municipal Museum of Split). There is also the small church of St. Martin with the stone altar partition decorated with the wattle-work motive, from the llth century. In front of the Golden Gates there is the monumental sculpture of Grgur Ninski, the work of Ivan Mestrovic. The remains of the church of St. Eufemija from the llth century. are in the park, north-west of the Golden Gates. The basis of the church of St. Arnir with three naves from the llth century, that was built by Juraj Dalmatinac are also preserved. The Cindro Palace from the 17th century, the most beautiful baroque palace in Split is located on the right from the Iron Gates. The church of Our Lady of Belfry from the 11th century is located in the corridor above the Iron Gates. Its belfry from 1100 is the oldest Romanesque belfry in Dalmatia. Through the Iron Gates you exit on the Square with the city hall from 1443, renaissance Korepic Palace, Gothic Cambi Palace from the 15th century, and clock-tower from the 16th century. In the western part of the city there is the monastery and church of St. Francis, founded in the 13th century and afterwards rebuilt and adapted. The staircase goes to Marjan, where you can enjoy in a beautiful view on the city and its surroundings. When you go down from Marjan, you pass by two small churches from the 13th century - Betlem and St. Jerolim. Among the villas on the road to Meje is the gallery of Ivan Mestrovic with his works and works of modern Croatian painters. Further on the road is Kastelet. It used to be citadel of the Capogrosso-Kavanjin family from the 17th century. In the northern part of the town is Prokurativa with theater building, church of Our Lady of Health, and numerous museums and galleries. There is also the Pre-Romanesque church of St. Trinity and the Franciscan monastery on Poljud.
Hotels: Split (A, B); Lav (A); apartments Lavica (A); Marian (A); Bellevue (B); Park (B); Zagreb (B); Slavija (C); Central (C).
Camps: Trstenik (III), Stobrec.
Marina: ACI Split, in the main port of the city. It has 500 places on the floating docks and 100 places on the dry docks. Marina has a reception office, crane (10 t), slipway for ships that weigh up to 30 t, gas station. It is open through the whole year. Guests can use toilets, laundry, shops, exclusive restaurant and snack-bar.
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