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Split: a city where history lives in the present

Imagine a place where a Roman emperor retired, where medieval townspeople built their homes right into ancient walls, and where today tourists stroll through the same alleys with coffee in hand. Split is not an open-air museum — it is a living organism that has been beating to the rhythm of the Adriatic for over 1,700 years. Croatia's second-largest city is unique in that its heart — Diocletian's Palace — never stopped being a city. People still live in apartments built into ancient Roman walls, and children play in the Peristyle — the central square where the emperor himself once received ambassadors. Split's official tourism portal calls it a "city within a palace," and that's no exaggeration.

Diocletian's Palace: a fortress that became a home

When Emperor Diocletian began construction of his residence in 295 AD, he knew he would soon abdicate — the only voluntary retirement of an emperor in Roman history. The palace was built in about 10 years, which is incredibly fast for such a scale. This was not a palace in the usual sense — rather a fortified city-castle, combining the luxury of a villa with the strictness of a military camp. The northern wall, facing the land, has no windows and reaches 20 meters in height — it was a defensive barrier. The southern facade with arcades was once washed by the sea, and boats could sail right beneath it. Over time, the shallows were filled in, and the famous Riva promenade appeared.

The dimensions of the structure are impressive: walls 170–200 meters long, and inside there were once about 300 buildings. Between 8,000 and 10,000 people lived here — soldiers, servants, craftsmen. Archaeological excavations have shown that beneath the palace lie the remains of even earlier structures demolished for the imperial residence. The unique Roman sewer system still works — wastewater was discharged under the arches into the sea. In the 7th century, when inhabitants of the destroyed Salona fled here, they did not destroy the palace but adapted it to their needs. Thus began the continuous existence of Split as a city.

Cathedral of St. Domnius: from mausoleum to temple

In the very heart of the palace stands a building that can be called a symbol of historical irony. The Cathedral of St. Domnius (Duje) is the oldest functioning Catholic cathedral in the world, originally built as the mausoleum of a Christian-persecuting emperor. Diocletian persecuted Christians with unprecedented cruelty in the Roman Empire. But in the 7th century, when refugees from Salona rebuilt the mausoleum into a cathedral, they dedicated it to St. Domnius — the first bishop of Salona, executed on Diocletian's own orders. The emperor's sarcophagus bore the inscription "Persecutor Christianorum" — "Persecutor of Christians." Christians turned the tomb of their tormentor into a temple dedicated to his victim. It was an act of symbolic triumph.

The cathedral's bell tower, built in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 20th century after an earthquake, has become a symbol of Split. Due to the marshy soil, a huge number of piles had to be driven beneath it. Inside, the relics of St. Domnius are kept. According to legend, in the 14th century the Venetians tried to steal them and take them to Venice, but the ship could not move until the relics were returned. UNESCO inscribed the historic complex of Split on the World Heritage List in 1979, recognizing its exceptional value.

Egyptian sphinxes: pharaohs' legacy on the Adriatic

In the Peristyle — the central square of the palace — you will be greeted by a visitor from another world. A black granite sphinx, carved during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III (18th Dynasty), is about 3,500 years old. Emperor Diocletian brought 12 such sphinxes from Egypt to decorate his residence. Today only three survive. The one standing in the Peristyle is the only one in its original location. Its head and paws are broken off, but hieroglyphs with the name of Thutmose III are still visible on its chest. When Christians rebuilt the mausoleum into a cathedral, they destroyed most of the sphinxes as pagan idols. The one that survived in the Peristyle was saved by a miracle.

The second sphinx stands at the entrance to the Temple of Jupiter (now the Baptistery), and the third is in the Split City Museum. The sphinx at the Temple of Jupiter has its head broken off, and its torso bears a relief of a medieval Croatian ruler — a unique example of the layering of different eras. Encyclopedia of Ancient History notes that these sphinxes are among the few Egyptian artifacts preserved in such condition outside Egypt.

Marjan Hill: the green heart of Split

On the western side of the peninsula on which Split stands rises Marjan Hill — a symbol of the city and a favorite recreation spot for locals. Emperor Diocletian, despite his reputation as a cruel ruler, loved this place very much. He ordered the creation of a park of about 300 hectares here, planted with pine trees, exclusively for the recreation of his subjects. Today Marjan is an oasis of greenery that the people of Split have been planting for centuries, turning a barren rock into a forest.

On the southern slopes are hidden medieval hermitage churches from the 13th–16th centuries and cave hermitages. The Church of St. Jerome with reliefs carved directly into the rock is the jewel of this place. Here also lies the oldest Jewish cemetery in Croatia, founded in 1573. It is located on a slope overlooking the sea and is a place of pilgrimage for Jewish tourists from around the world. Marjan Park Association cares for the preservation of this unique space. There is a city legend: if you climb to the highest point of the hill and make a wish while watching the sunset, it will surely come true. Here you can encounter Balkan turtles and iguanas basking freely in the sun.

Split in Game of Thrones: the sets of Meereen

Fans of George R.R. Martin's saga will recognize Meereen in Split — the city where Daenerys Targaryen established her rule. The Cellars of Diocletian's Palace became the filming location for scenes where Daenerys locks up her dragons, as well as where the Unsullied kill guards in the episode "The Dragon and the Wolf." Škartin Street in the palace is the alley where Daenerys walked in purple after the Meereenese rebellion, and Jorah Mormont found her bracelet.

Kliss Fortress, located 10 kilometers from Split, is visible behind the walls of Meereen on screen. It is against the backdrop of this fortress that the famous aerial shots of the city were filmed. The Dominican monastery in Split became the interiors of Meereen — here the scene was shot where Daenerys sits on the throne and listens to the townspeople's requests. HBO chose Split for its Mediterranean architecture, which was perfectly suited for Westeros. Fans dubbed Split the "real King's Landing," and the city still offers special tourist routes to filming locations.

Riva Promenade: the pulse of the city

The southern facade of Diocletian's Palace was once washed by the sea. Today the Riva promenade is located here — Split's main promenade, where the city lives in its modern rhythm. Cafés and restaurants set out tables right by the water, and the sunsets here are a spectacle in themselves. From here you is visible the port from which ferries depart to the islands of Brač, Hvar, and Vis. Riva is the place where locals meet, where dates are arranged, and where you feel the pulse of a true Mediterranean city.

If you want to see Split in real time, online webcams allow you to observe the life of the promenade, the movement of yachts in the port, and the play of light on the palace walls. It is a great way to plan a trip or simply enjoy the atmosphere of the city without leaving home.

What the cameras show

Split online webcams cover key points of the city: from panoramic views from Marjan Hill to live streams from the Riva promenade. You can watch the life of the Peristyle, where those same Egyptian sphinxes stand, or look at the port where yachts are moored. Cameras on the facades of Diocletian's Palace show how ancient walls coexist with modern life — children play where Roman legionnaires once marched. For those planning a trip, Split online webcams are an opportunity to assess the weather, tourist crowds, and overall atmosphere of the city before traveling. Choose a stream and enjoy one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of Europe in real time.