The City of Split is both the 2nd largest city in Croatia and the largest city in the Split-Dalmatia County . It is located in Central Europe and lies within a croissant-shaped peninsula on the Adriatic Sea . Tourism is a great economic booster because of Split ‘s attractive Mediterranean climate, extensive coastline and fascinating historical attractions.
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The history of Split clearly speaks of the tenacity of its citizens and of intensive interactions of old and new cultures. The best things in the City of Split include the Palace itself, its Cathedrals and museums. You may wish to hire a tour guide for the day to get the whole historical significance of the buildings as well as their culture. The archaeological museums are a must-see, especially one that is designed by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.
July and August are the Peak months in the City of Split. Accommodations which range from hotels, villas, private homes for families to campsites and lighthouses are at a premium during this season. If you’re on a budget, then try visiting the City of Split during the months of April, May, September and October as prices are slashed by 50%.
Cultural Hertiage of Split
One easily notices this kind of heritage by walking from the Peristyle of Diocletian’s palace to what used to be the Emperor’s mausoleum and is now the cathedral of St. Duje (Domnius), passing by Andrija Buvina’s Romanesque doorposts, and arriving into the middle of a pagan shrine that Christianity transformed into a superb expression of profound religiosity.
Juraj Dalmatinac left a masterpiece here too: the altar of Sv. Stosija (St. Anastasia) with a relief of the flagellation of Christ marks an artistic and cultural watershed in European history. Obviously inspired by the renewal of interest in classical sculpture during the Renaissance, Juraj reintroduced the classical attention to the physical after centuries of one-dimensional mediaeval spirituality.
A harmonious Romanesque belfry dominates the whole complex as an expression of the ultimate victory of the mediaeval civilization over the classical one-an expression of religious victory, but also of cultural interaction.
On the eve of the modern era, Split crossed the walls of the Emperor’s Palace and expanded in all directions, growing into the modern town at the foot of Marjan Hill that it now is. Like most Adriatic towns, Split is very closely involved with its sea and its islands.
The coastal region east of Split is also interesting, starting with the gravel beaches of Stobrec. Omis, situated on the gigantic canyon mouth of the Cetina river, was famous for its mediaeval pirates whose fort stands there. The ancient church of Sv. Petar (St. Peter) in Priko is an example of the earliest period in Croatian sacral architecture.
History of Split
Historically, the City of Split has been long-associated with the palace that was built as the residence for the Roman Emperor Diocletian between the 3 rd and 4rth centuries. However, there is evidence to suggest that people have been living in the area even during the time of the Greeks.
With the fall of the Roman empire , residents from neighboring towns used the palace as a refuge and there they grew and prospered into the present day City.
Many rulers have come and gone – Hungarians, Venetians, the French and the Italians, all of which gave the City of Split its unique architectural and cultural heritage, although it was able to remain politically autonomous until the time that the government of Croatia was formed in 1944.
To this day, the City of Split is deemed as the administrative center of Dalmatia , with shipbuilding and tourism as the prime movers in the City’s economic turn-around. Many factors contribute to the City of Split ‘s tourism attractiveness.
First, its transportation network within the City and interconnection with the rest of Europe enables tourists to travel by car, bus, ferry and train. However, tourists coming from other parts of the world may need to travel first from a European city like London prior to coming to Croatia as there are no direct flights from other areas.
Once you have chosen the best European city to jump off from, you may reach the City of Split via any of its 5 major airports.