Visiting Split to see Diocletian's Palace

Split harbor

Luggage had to be outside the room by 7 a.m. today so we all had an early start.  There was a short stop in Neum in Bosnia (the only Bosnian outlet to the sea) and then on to Split by noon.  Split is the location of the remains of the Palace of Roman Emperor Diocletian and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Diocletian’s Palace was one of the main reasons I’d wanted to take this tour so I was really looking forward to seeing Split.

I’m occasionally disappointed when things don’t turn out as well as I hoped but this wasn’t one of those times.  The city of Split was charming and the Palace was even better preserved than expected (it has been woven into the fabric of the city). 

The western wall of the Palace borders the new seafront promenade, the Imperial Suite and Vestibule are still discernable.  Best of all the Peristyle, a large open courtyard, is pretty much intact.  With typical Croatian ingenuity, Emperor Diocletian’s Mausoleum was turned into the Catholic Cathedral of Split with Jupiter’s temple becoming the Baptistery.  You have to see it to appreciate the size and feel the 2,000 year age of the Palace. 

In addition, the city itself is interesting, built of creamy Croatian marble, and a living vibrant town.  It has lots of color and even the touristy bits look better when enclosed in 2,000 year old walls.