Split Old Town
Our last night on this Croatian adventure was spent in Split, concentrating mainly on Split old town. The journey from Dubrovnik had been straight forward, stopping briefly at roadside sellers to buy some local produce which we would take back to the UK.
Our return flight to the UK would be early the following morning so in reality we only had an part of the afternoon and evening to explore Split. This wasn’t a problem though as most of the sights we wanted to see were in Split old town which was a short walk from our accommodation.
Split Old Town – Diocletian’s Palace
The main image at the top of this article is part of the Diocletian’s Palace. The palace takes up about half of Split old town. It was built in the 4th century for the Roman emperor Diocletian. Originally it was used both as a palace but also to house a military garrison. Today many of the buildings within these narrow streets are shops, cafes but also some apartments where the locals live.
The remainder of what’s known as Split Old Town contains white stone buildings in different styles and from different eras. Just outside the ancient city walls for example you will find a promenade by the ocean with more retailers and street vendors. It’s a good location to stop for a snack and watch the sunset.
Grgur Ninski Statue
Another popular tourist attraction in Split is the Grgur Ninski statue. It’s located right outside the Golden Gate so could be considered part of Split old town. The 20 foot tall statue was created in 1929 to mark 1,000 years since the passing of this bishop. Grgur Ninski opposed the Pope and conducted religious services in the national language.
It’s not unusual to see tourists rubbing one of the statue’s big toes. It’s supposed to bring good luck and means you will return to Split. The toe is a shiny bright colour unlike the dark bronze of the rest of the statue.
It had been a very brief visit to Split for us both. In truth I had visited back in 2010 and spent many days both in Split and in Trogir (a short bus journey away). Our Croatian adventure had been less than a week in duration but we had seen so much. It’s a beautiful country and there are still many places I’ve yet to visit. Maybe we will have the chance to go back one day?