The city with an impressive history was given its name by the Greeks. The name, which has nothing to do with the banana split dessert, was named after the Aspalatos bush (Cytisus scoparius), a shrub that grows all over Dalmatia and colors the surroundings with its vibrant yellow flowers in June.
Later, the Romans and Croats changed and shortened the name to today's Split, and who knows, maybe one day it will be even shorter. But regardless of the name, the biggest attraction of the city is undoubtedly Diocletian's Palace. Most visitors cringe at the thought of visiting a Roman palace, as they immediately think of Roman ruins across the Mediterranean. Diocletian's Palace is an exception, as a walk through the 1,700-year-old palace is a walk through the heart of today's Split. While exchanging money in the modernly equipped branch of the bank in the central square of the Diocletian's Palace, called the Peristyle, we are standing on an original cobbled Roman street almost two thousand years old. This is just one of the examples of the unusual combination of ancient architecture with the life of almost three thousand inhabitants who still live in the area of the palace, which was built in 305 by the Roman emperor Diocletian to live out his old age after he abdicated. Today, linen hangs from the original walls of the palace, satellite antennas open into the sky and residents cool off in the summer heat with air conditioners. Even after Diocletian's death, the palace remained in the hands of the Roman emperors, but over time the purpose changed. Diocletian's mausoleum, where the remains of the last burning persecutor of Christians rested, was turned into a cathedral by his successors, the temple of Jupiter, where the emperor glorified the most important Roman god, became a baptistery, the palace was inhabited by the poor and became the center of the city.
Among beautiful people
Split is definitely not the most beautiful city on the Croatian coast, but we can't even expect that from the large industrial and economic center of Dalmatia. It is certainly the most "excellent" mix of ancient and modern, traditional and liberal and, of course, a place where we can rest our eyes while looking at the tall and slender Dalmatians. The place where, in the opinion of many people, the most beautiful European women are paraded in the evenings is certainly Riva. The promenade between the walls of the ancient Diocletian's Palace and the sea has lost some of its charm after the recent transformation, but after the initial disapproval, the people of Split have once again accepted Riva as their own and it has become a meeting place for young and old and, of course, the most interesting theater in the city. The best place to watch the hustle and bustle of the Riva is from the balcony on the first floor of St Riva Cafe. At the end of the week and during important sports events in which Croatian athletes participate, especially the favorite of Split, the high jumper Blanka Vlašić, the football club Hajduk or the tennis player Mario Ančić, the real Dalmatian temperament is shown in and in front of the bar: hot-blooded, patriotic and immensely entertaining. Romantic and newly in love couples prefer to take refuge on the terrace of the Vidilica cafe on Marjan hill, which offers a wonderful view of the city and its surroundings and the nearby island of Brač. The way to Vidilica is also pleasant, as we climb from the waterfront to the cafe via a beautiful staircase surrounded by mighty trees that provide refreshing shade on summer days. After one o'clock in the morning, the action moves from the Riva and the bars on the streets of Diocletian's Palace to the most popular city beach, Bačvice, where young people gather, who during the day indulged in the sun's rays on the beach or stood in front of the young women by skillfully playing picigino - a unique game with a ball played in shallow water. In June, the world championship in picigino took place in Bačvice, with a colorful international participation of national teams from Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and, of course, Croatia.
Good "spiza"
Food is an important part of the Dalmatian lifestyle and Split boasts a range of excellent restaurants. Some, such as the restaurant Rizzo, near the shopping street Marmontova ulica, or the restaurant owned by the popular Split singer Petr Graša Adriatic Grašo, are honest meeting places of Split's social elite and wealthy yacht owners, others are typical taverns, where excellent food and drink are served in in the company of locals who are always happy and in a singing mood. Konoba Fife, Konoba Kod Joze or Konoba Varoš are just some of the legendary institutions in Split, but it is especially pleasant to sit in Konoba Nevera near Bačvice, where the feasts take place under the watchful eye of a stone fisherman, which guarantees that the fish dishes are really prepared from freshly caught fish. After good food in the tavern, the locals continue socializing in the pleasant atmosphere of the cafes. In the cafe and bar Versi, for example, every Tuesday you can listen to live music, most often the performances of klap - groups of singers who sing typical Dalmatian songs.
Summer of culture
During the months when the city is visited by the most tourists, Split attracts not only with its energy and liveliness, but also with a variety of cultural events. The central exhibition in the city, which is open until August 8, features 77 works by Marc Chagall, as well as fifty of his prints intended for sale. The main cultural event is definitely the Split summer. Between July 14 and August 14, the Peristyle turns into one of the most fascinating stages in the world. Surrounded by Egyptian sphinxes, Roman columns and a staircase that leads to one of the oldest functioning cathedrals in the world, artists from the best opera houses take us to the world of opera stories. In addition to Peristil, drama, dance and music events also take place at other venues. Since not everyone enjoys the sounds of classical music and the interpretation of the texts of classical writers, in the morning hours every day until November 1st, klappes perform, enthralling visitors with their voices in the most acoustic part of the Peristil. On Saturdays, members of folklore groups on the Riva present dances from different parts of Croatia, and walkers and visitors to the streets of the old town can return to Roman times every day until September 15, as Roman guards walk around the Peristyle, and at 3:00 p.m. the emperor himself greets the people Diocletian and his wife. From August 15 to 25, during Diocletian's Days, the streets of the palace are transformed into ancient times, and on the last evening, a real Roman feast takes place in the underground part of Diocletian's Palace, to which performers and all those who participate in Roman festivities in togas and tunics are invited. . Well-known Split chefs compete in the preparation of old Roman specialties made from shellfish, fruit, vegetables and dishes seasoned with honey and unusual spices. The city, which its inhabitants believe is the most beautiful city in the world, is magical. If this cannot be said for the first impression we get when we arrive in Split, then we have an additional reason to stay and get to know its true side, the one that reveals the true Dalmatian soul, dedicated and proud, open and ruthlessly frank, cosmopolitan and artistic, a soul that enjoys life to the fullest, defiantly follows its own path and does not let anyone change it.
Information:
– Information about Splitat: www.visitsplit.com
– Restaurant Adriatic Grašo, Uvala baluni bb, phone: +38521398560
– Fife Tavern: Trumbićeva obala 11, phone: +38521345223
– Konoba Nevera: Put Firula 17, phone: +38521388736
– Cafe bar Versi: Put Firula 3
– Split summer festival: www.splitsko-ljeto.hr
