Split

The majority of the time that you will likely spend in the city centre of Split is around the ‘Diocletian’ Palace. This palace was built for Emperor Diocletian after he voluntarily gave up the Roman throne in the start of the 4th century. It was built for a luxury villa/summer house, as well as a Roman military camp. After his retirement, he decided to settle here, the Illyrian province of Rome at the time - today, this is now part of the country of Croatia. The entire palace covers nearly 30,000 m², and is built using local limestone and white marble. This ancient fortress is now known as the ‘old town’ of Split, with many cafes, restaurants, shops and flats located within the old buildings and narrow streets within the walls of the palace.

Getting lost in the narrow cobblestone streets within the old palace walls felt as if I was walking through the streets of an old Roman city, most notably, Venice, just without the canals. As you would in Venice, I would highly recommend a stroll through here, getting lost, and finding a cafe to sit and people watch. Equally as beautiful at night, the Palace is highlighted by the glow of many lights surrounding the towers and walls. Grab a glass of vino and some Croatian dinner and enjoy the views!