Stand on Peristil square in the late afternoon, when the light has gone soft on the colonnade of Diocletian's Palace, and the city's long history stops being an abstract idea. The palace is not fenced off or ticketed at the gate: the streets of the old town run straight through it, past the cardo and decumanus, past Gothic and Renaissance buildings that grew up against the Roman stone.
Split suits travellers who like their sightseeing woven into ordinary life. You can climb a bell tower in the morning, swim at a city beach in the afternoon, and eat dinner inside a Roman emperor's retirement home.
1. Diocletian's Palace
The historic centre of Split is built around the remains of this Roman palace, constructed from 298 to 305 AD and widely considered the best preserved Roman palace in the world. You only need to wander around to experience it, but you can also pay to visit the excavated remains of the basement. The four monumental gates are Porta Aurea (Golden gate), Porta Argenta (Silver gate), Porta Ferrea (Iron gate) and Porta Aenea.
Guided tours of the palace run May to October from 10:00 to 19:00, and November to April from 11:00, lasting 90 minutes in English. Tours start in front of the tourist info centre, and you should arrive 15 minutes before departure.
2. Peristil square
Peristil is the main square of Diocletian's Palace, with well preserved Roman architecture. It is the natural place to begin a walk through the palace, and one of the two original Egyptian sphinxes brought from Egypt by Diocletian stands here.
Use it as a meeting point: the cathedral, the bell tower and the Jupiter temple are all reached from around it.
3. Katedrala sv. Duje
Built around 305 AD as the mausoleum of Roman emperor Diocletian, this is the oldest cathedral building in the world and a striking mixture of Roman temple and Catholic church. Its bell tower gives you a panoramic view of Split, the nearby islands and Marjan hill.
Entry to the cathedral costs €3.40. Pair it with the bell tower climb, which is a separate charge.
4. St. Duje's bell tower
The bell tower provides a great panoramic view of Split, the nearby islands and Marjan hill. The ascent is certainly not for those with vertigo, but the views from the top are remarkable.
It costs €1.40 to go up. Go early in the day if you want clearer air and fewer people on the stairs.
5. Basement halls of Diocletian's Palace
The exceptionally well preserved substructure of the palace is now open as a museum, and it was one of the locations used in Game of Thrones. Each year more of the halls are opened to the public, and some have fascinating artefacts on display.
Entry is €10. It is strongly recommended to book a tour guide, otherwise you walk through mostly empty halls with barely any further information.
6. Jupiter temple
This ancient Roman temple later became St. John's church and now serves as the cathedral's baptistry. The second original Egyptian sphinx stands in front of it.
Entry costs €0.70, which makes it an easy addition to a circuit of the palace rather than a separate outing.
7. Riva
Riva is the main city promenade. Since 2007 it has had a new, more modern appearance, which is not to the taste of some who remember its authentic look.
Walk it in the evening, when the promenade is at its liveliest, and use it as your route between the old town and the waterfront.
8. Marjan
Marjan is a hill on the west of Split and an oasis for anyone looking for natural stress relief, with long walks, jogging and bike rides. Its peak, Telegrin, is 178 m high and gives a wonderful panoramic view of Split. St. Nicholas church sits on the east of Marjan, and on its south side are the St. Jeronimus church and the "Gospe od Betlema" church.
A tourist road train runs several times a day from the fountain at the west end of Riva up to Telegrin and back. Beaches on the hill include Kasuni Beach in the south-west, with a small dog beach, and Bene Beach on the north side; west of Bene you can find quiet spots for snorkelling, and bus 12 brings you there.
9. Varoš
Varoš is one of the oldest parts of town, where most of the city's peasants and fishermen lived. Its charming streets and small houses make it a good place to wander without a plan.
Combine it with a walk back from Marjan or the waterfront, since it sits between the hill and the old centre.
10. Bačvice beach
This beach has fine-grained sand and very shallow water, with many cafes and places to eat ice cream nearby. It is packed solid most of summer, but it gives you a feeling of the real Croatia, since the vast majority of people who go there are from Split.
Bus 12 travels there. To reach it on foot, walk south along the waterfront from the bus station and follow the road that crosses the railway line.
11. Picigin at Bačvice
Picigin is a traditional beach game played with a small ball, and Bačvice is where it happens. In summer there is a world championship in picigin every year.
Watch a game in the late afternoon, when the beach is busiest, and combine it with a swim at Bačvice.
12. Split city beach
If you have a longer stopover, Split's city beach lies five minutes south of the passenger terminal and the train and bus stations, and you can take a plunge in the Adriatic for free.
Continue south past the bus station and follow the road by the tracks; from the bridge over the tracks, take the stairs down to the beach.
13. Getski vrtal
This is the smallest park in Split, on Dominisova street inside Diocletian's Palace. It holds beautiful traditional Dalmatian tiramolas, which in summer are full of clothes drying in the sunshine, and it is the location of a 500-year-old stone house destroyed during World War II.
It appears in every guidebook about Split, so expect company; visit as part of a walk through the palace streets rather than as a destination on its own.
14. Grgur Ninski
It is said that if you touch the big toe of the statue and make a wish, your wish will come true.
It is a quick stop, best folded into a walk between the old town and the waterfront.
15. Galerija Meštrović
The gallery contains works of Ivan Meštrović, the famous Croatian sculptor, at Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 46.
It pairs naturally with a walk on Marjan, since both lie west of the centre.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Peristil square and wander the streets of Diocletian's Palace, then visit Katedrala sv. Duje and climb St. Duje's bell tower for the view. Add the Jupiter temple and, if you have time, the basement halls of Diocletian's Palace, ideally with a guide booked in advance.
Afternoon: Walk the Riva, then head west to Marjan. Take the tourist road train from the fountain at the west end of Riva up to Telegrin for the panoramic view, or walk the hill's paths and finish at Bene Beach or Kasuni Beach. On the way back, wander the streets of Varoš.
Evening: Return along the Riva and finish at Bačvice beach for a swim, an ice cream and a look at a game of picigin.
Do I need a ticket to see Diocletian's Palace?
No. You only need to wander around to experience the palace. You pay separately for the excavated basement halls, the cathedral and the bell tower.
When do guided tours of the palace run?
Tours run May to October from 10:00 to 19:00, and November to April from 11:00, lasting 90 minutes in English. They start in front of the tourist info centre, and you should arrive 15 minutes early.
How do I get to Marjan and its peak?
A tourist road train runs several times a day from the fountain at the west end of Riva up to Telegrin and back. Bus 12 brings you to Bene Beach on the north side.
Is Bačvice beach good for swimming?
The sand is fine-grained and the water very shallow, with cafes and ice cream nearby. It is packed solid most of summer, but most people there are from Split.
Decide which of these fits your day, check the tour times for the palace, and start planning your walk through Split.