Split is a beautiful city and it’s easy to sightsee. It’s most interesting places are cumulated at the old town, which is a long, overgrown with the palms promenade with the great number of cafés and with Diocletian’s Palace. During the day time it’s not easy to find, except for the cafes, a shelter from the sun, which becomes even more scorching since the beams are reflected by the slippery marbles and granites. 

    While walking down the promenade, on the right side, the beautiful view displays onto bay in which the most expensive and luxurious yachts of the world are moored. On the left side, along the entire promenade, the Diocletian’s Palace is situated. For the tourist, who hasn’t got even a little knowledge, it may seem a strange the view of underwear hanging out from the windows of the zero class historic building, but this is the way it is. Currently, the Palace constitutes mostly of it’s basement, which survived because the ancestors of the first Palace’s residents used the cellars as the rubbish chute. Above the basement level, about 220 buildings are located, which are inhabited by over 3 thousand of people. The Palace was huge: 215 meters from sea, inside the mainland and about 181 meters of width, that is about 39 thousand square meters.

    Few words about history: Originally, these terrain was inhabited by Greeks. About I century A.D. the town of Aspalathos became conquered by Romans, establishing there one of their provinces. The Roman Emperor – Diocletian originated from there, gaining his power with the army’s support. He was an outstanding strategist, who appreciated the order and loyalty. On his initiative the Palace in Split was built, and due to his instructions it was arranged. In the history of Roman Empire he became famous for two things: he was the first Emperor, who descended from the common people, and was chosen for his merits; he also voluntary abdicated while being at his power’s apogee (when he decided, that he had achieved everything that he could and he didn’t have to expose his life to very frequent, by that time, death by poisoning or decapitation). After his death, the Palace became the property of successive Emperors, then the Slavic people, Byzantium, Venetians… and only the memory of its ancient glory remains until the present day.

    After visiting the Palace’s basement you should go to peristyle (the Palace’s courtyard) – there is only one that has survived in good condition until the present day. The granite columns in the Corinthian style has remained there as well as one of four, imported at that time, sphinxes – sculpted in XV century B.C. in Egypt. The sphinx could be touched, and you could have a photograph with it, but it is only a reproduction; the original, as it turned out how valuable the exhibit is, was replaced. Nowadays, the numerous concerts are organized there during the season and everyday, at 3 P.M., the scene is displayed, which originated from time of the first Palace’s owner, when Diocletian accompanied by the Roman soldiers, greeted, from the balcony situated above the peristyle, those who worshiped him. On the eastern side of square, the entrance to the St. Dujman’s Cathedral is located (one of the first Christian martyrs, who died in the Diocletian’s times and currently he is the patron of Split). Originally, the cathedral was established as the Diocletian’s mausoleum, it is the oldest cathedral of the world. After the Christian’s arrival, the Diocletian’s corpse, who through his whole life fought brutally against the Christianity, was profaned and the place of his eternal rest remains unknown. The relics of St. Dujman were placed in the Cathedral and they are there until the present day.

    While being in Croatia, it’s worth to visit Split, but this is not a place, where the whole day could be planned. That is why, about 3.30 P.M. we were traveling towards Trogir.