Less frequented than Dubrovnik, less elitist than the island of Hvar, Split is the rising star of Croatia's coastal cities. Under a climate blessed by the gods, the second city of the country nestles in a delicious bay, between the Adriatic islands and the mountains of Dalmatia. By choosing this privileged setting to savor his last years, the Roman Emperor Diocletian did not imagine that an agglomeration would take root in the very heart of his home ... Split is indeed the only example in the world of a private palace that has become a public space. Today, more than 3,000 people live between the walls of the ancient imperial residence, erected at the end of the 3rd century.
You have to get lost in its maze of narrow streets, listed as World Heritage by Unesco, to feel the Latin charm and the dreamlike power of the city. It is at night, by the light of the streetlights, when the click of the heels resonates on the cobblestones, that the atmosphere of the city center turns to the fantastic. At the heart of the quadrangle of white stones traced by the ramparts of the palace, the emperor's peristyle is the nerve center of Split.
After eight years of meticulous renovation, visitors can once again stroll around this square surrounded by columns imported from Egypt and shaded by the most beautiful monuments of the city: the anteroom of the imperial apartments on one side and the Cathedral of Saint Domnius. the other. Ironically, the latter is built on the remains of the mausoleum of Diocletian, known to have been a relentless persecutor of the first Christians!
Dalmatian paths
For a photographic as well as a historical point of view on the origins of Split, go to the outskirts of the city, on the early Christian ruins of Salona. True cradle of Croatian archeology, this excavation site allows you to embrace several centuries of history in a few hours. About fifteen kilometers away, on the first foothills of the Dalmatian mountain, the fortress of Klis also offers a striking panorama.
Balancing on its rocky outcrop, the stronghold is protected by thick walls and defensive turrets, testimonies of its strategic role in the troubled history of the region. The austerity of this construction and its good state of preservation seduced the producers of the Game of Thrones television series. Fans had been able to appreciate his disturbing figure in some scenes of the fifth season.
Across the bay from Split, Trogir is also a World Heritage Site. Built on an islet of around one square kilometer, this small medieval town irresistibly recalls Venice, with its narrow alleys, its Palace of the Dukes, its bell tower, its Saint-Laurent cathedral with its ornate portal and its peripheral canal.
Never conquered or vandalized, Trogir is an essential stopover between the hinterland and the return to Split. Naturally, the stay in Dalmatia could not end without a final tickle to Gregory of Nin. Worn out by daily friction, the toe of his bronze statue, erected facing the Golden Doors of Diocletian's palace, would have the ability to grant wishes ... Starting, perhaps, with that of coming back, one day, to enjoy splendors of the Croatian coast.
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