Cool Things To Do In Split

If you’re visiting Split you may be overwhelmed by the amount of things to see and do. From taking in old Roman architecture, to visiting nearby islands, here are 9 cool things to do in Split. Whether visiting for a day, or for a week, these are some of my favorite things I did in this amazingly beautiful city.

Diocletian’s Palace
Saint Dominius Cathedral

Riva
Jupiter’s Temple
People’s Square or Pjaca

Republic Square
Golden Gate
Hvar

Krka

Diocletian’s Palace

Diocletian’s Palace is the first place to visit in Split. This palace is actually a fort that was built as a retirement residence for the Roman emperor Diocletian. While he was still ruling, he gave the order to build a place where he can retire. This area was chosen because Diocletian was born around here.

The palace-fort takes up half of the whole old town in Split. It is a charming place to visit and a great experience. All the ruins, narrow streets, and squares will take you for a while out of this time and place to a time of the Roman Empire. Cody and I spent lots of time looking at all the details and admiring the ancient architecture.

Saint Dominius Cathedral

Saint Dominius Cathedral was built in 305 AD as a part of Diocletian’s palace and from the 7^th century was used as a Catholic cathedral. This is a place full of history and interesting things inside.

Beautiful architecture and simple design are nicely combined. The cathedral won’t take a long time to explore as it is quite a small place but should be visited while you are traveling in Split.

The highlight of the Saint Dominius cathedral is a Bell tower with a magical view. Be careful and watch your step while climbing up the tower, the stairs can be tricky. To avoid the crowd you can come early in the morning.

Riva

Riva is the city center of Split, although it is located not in the center but along the harbor. This charming place is a must-visit spot in Split. There are numerous restaurants to get lunch at and cute souvenirs shops. There you also can find tourist agencies if you need one.

The place offers a great view and has a relaxing vibe. Take a stroll along the harbor and enjoy an ice cream on one of the benches. What a nice way to have a break from all sightseeing.

Jupiter’s Temple

Jupiter’s temple is a temple in Split that is dedicated to the supreme Roman god Jupiter. The temple was built at the same time as the Diocletian’s palace and was turned into the Baptistery of St.John somewhere in the 6^th -7^th century BC.

In front of Jupiter’s temple you can see one of the twelve sphinxes brought back from Egypt by Emperor Diocletian. Inside the temple there is a bronze statue of St. John the Baptist and two sarcophagi with archbishops of Split.

People’s Square or Pjaca

Pjaca is one of the beautiful squares in Split. It is a well-preserved area and must be visited as a part of the old town excursion.

For those who are fans of good bars and restaurant it is a perfect spot. The square is full of great bars and restaurants with affordable prices. It is a nice place to hang out after dinner if you want to have a good drink and meet new people.

Republic Square

Republic square is another charming square in Split. It is located on the side of old town and not as crowded as the People’s square. However, the place has some good restaurants as well and lots of tourists passing by.

Republic square is surrounded by buildings that look Venetian. Red walls with green window curtains and big white arches on the ground floor take you for a second to Venice.

Golden Gate

Golden gate is the northern entrance to the old city of Split. The gate was a part of Diocletian’s palace and was built at the same time. It is a nice spot to hit during your walk in the old city.

The gate is well maintained, and it is a spot for those who like history. Around this area there are a few cozy restaurants and bars so you can enjoy a drink at the same time with a great historical landmark.

Hvar

Hvar is an island with a port city and lots of resorts not far from Split. The place is marvelous and should be visited as a day trip (at least), although Cody and I went there for a week and fell in love with this place. This will be on any list of cool things to do in Split, and it’s only gotten more trendy with time.

The island is famous by its isolated charming beaches and thick forests. The old town is very well-preserved and is full of romantic cafes and restaurant. The whole island has a relaxing vibe in the air. There are not many tourists outside of yacht season, which is a nice break from the always overcrowded Split.

I recommend going to Hvar for a few days and just enjoy beautiful walks along the coast, fantastic beaches, and a charming old town. But if you are short on time make sure to take a day trip from Split over there, although it is not enough time for the place like this.

Krka National Park

Krka National Park is a fantastic natural park and absolutely a must-visit place in Croatia. Lucky for you in Split you can find tour agencies that offer a day trip to Krka by bus (which is what we did). Out of all nine cool things to do in Split, this might have been my favorite.

The tour costs $25 a person and the bus will pick you up early in the morning from the center of Split and bring you back to the same location in the evening.

Things to do in Split: Krka National Park

Krka national park is located on the river Krka and has a numerous amount of small waterfalls. The park is full of greenery, clear pools of water, and lots of fish. Here you can see some limestone formations and a few interesting exhibitions. But the best part is that you can swim at the bottom of a waterfall. Although the water was super cold and the bottom of the river is slippery and full of rough rocks at the same time, we had so much fun while swimming, getting in and out of the water (can be very tricky). If you have water shoes don’t forget to bring them, you really will need it.