Sightseeing in Split Palace, Riva and Marjan

Sightseeing in Split: palace, Riva and Marjan

Split’s main sight is a living town built inside a Roman emperor’s retirement palace. Most of it is free to walk, and the ticketed parts are separate and clearly signed.

Diocletian’s Palace

Diocletian’s Palace became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. The streets, gates, Peristyle and Vestibule are open 24 hours a day and cost nothing to enter. Four gates lead in:

  • The Golden Gate on the north side, with Ivan Meštrović’s statue of Grgur Ninski outside it. Rubbing the statue’s toe is said to bring luck.
  • The Silver Gate on the east side, which leads towards the Pazar market.
  • The Iron Gate on the west side, with a bell tower that has a 24-hour clock face, opening to Narodni trg.
  • The Bronze Gate on the south side, which leads to the Riva and the Substructures.

The Cardo and the Decumanus are the palace’s two Roman main streets. Klapa singers are commonly heard in the Vestibule. Three sphinxes from the time of Thutmose III survive in Split, so they are more than 3,400 years old. One stands on the Peristyle, a headless one sits at the Temple of Jupiter and the third is in the City Museum.

Cathedral of St Domnius

The cathedral began as Diocletian’s mausoleum and became a church in the 7th century. Look for Buvina’s wooden doors, from the 13th century. The Temple of Jupiter next door serves as a baptistery, with the headless sphinx outside and a Meštrović statue of St John inside. The bell tower has about 183 steps, and the top section is open metal, so it is not for everyone.

Ticket prices for the cathedral, bell tower, crypt, treasury and Temple of Jupiter vary between sources, so check the current price before you go. Combination tickets are sold at the office across from the cathedral. Hours also vary, and visits pause during Mass. The cathedral can close on religious holidays, and on Sundays it opens only in the afternoon.

Substructures

The Substructures cost €10 for adults, €8 reduced and €18 for a family, and they open daily 08:30 to 20:00. The central hall between the Riva and the Peristyle is free to walk through. The cellars featured as a throne room in Game of Thrones. The Split tourist board page on the Substructures explains the two entrances.

Markets

The Peškarija fish market was built about 1890 in Secession style. Local lore says there are no flies because of a sulphur spring, which the tourist board tells as a joke. The Pazar green market is outside the Silver Gate. Go in the morning, and check its hours.

Marjan

Marjan is the forested hill above the old town. Highlights include the Prva Vidilica viewpoint, the church of St Nicholas, the hermitage church of St Jerome and the observation tower at Sedlo. The park has a public road and buses, so it is not car-free.

Sustipan

Sustipan is a public park with sea views. It was Split’s first communal cemetery, opened between 1825 and 1832 according to sources that differ. It closed after the Second World War and became a park, and only the neoclassical gloriette remains. It is a place for a quiet visit.

Tips

  • Split fines people on the spot for walking through town shirtless or in swimwear, drinking or sleeping in public, and climbing monuments.
  • The old town is crowded from about 10:00 to 15:00 in summer, so visit the Peristyle and bell tower early or in the evening.
  • Late October is outside the main season, so confirm hours for the sights above.

Read more: Walking tours in Split and Split 3 day itinerary .

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