Split & Central Dalmatia

© Lonely Planet Publications 216 Split & Central Dalmatia Central Dalmatia is the most action-packed, sight-rich and diverse part of Croatia, with dozens of castles, fascinating islands, spectacular beaches, dramatic mountains, quiet ports and an emerg- ing culinary scene, not to mention Split’s Diocletian Palace and medieval Trogir (both Unesco World Heritage sites). In short, this part of Croatia will grip even the most picky visitor. The region stretches from Trogir in the northwest to Ploče in the southeast. Split is its largest city and a hub for bus and boat connections along the Adriatic coast. The rugged DALMATIA DALMATIA 1500m-high Dinaric Range provides the dramatic background to the region. SPLIT & CENTRAL SPLIT & CENTRAL Diocletian’s Palace is a sight like no other (a Roman ruin and the living soul of Split) and it would be a cardinal Dalmatian sin to miss out on the sights, bars, restaurants and general buzz inside it. The Roman ruins in Solin are altogether a more quiet, pensive affair, while Trogir is a tranquil city that’s preserved its fantastic medieval sculpture and architecture. Then there is Hvar Town, the region’s most popular destination, richly ornamented with Renais- sance architecture, good food, a fun atmosphere and tourists – who are in turn ornamented with deep tans, big jewels and shiny yachts. Let’s not forget the coastline: you can choose from the slender and seductive Zlatni Rat on Brač, wonderful beaches in Brela on the Makarska Riviera, secluded coves on Brač, Šolta and Vis, or gorgeous (and nudie) beaches on the Pakleni Islands off Hvar. Best of all is that Dalmatia is always quite a bit warmer than Istria or the Gulf of Kvarner, and you can plunge into the crystalline Adriatic from the beginning of May right up until the end of September. HIGHLIGHTS Discovering the wonders and nightlife in Diocletian’s Palace in Split ( p220 ) Getting to know Vis ( p240 ), Croatia’s most remote island Stretching out on Croatia’s sexiest beach, Zlatni Rat, in Bol ( p247 ) Taking in the glamour in Hvar Town ( p251 ) Split Mt and getting into your birthday suit on the Biokovo beaches of the Pakleni Islands ( p254 ) Bol Pakleni Hiking up dramatic Mount Biokovo ( p237 ) Islands Hvar and getting views of Italy from the top Town Vis TELEPHONE CODE: 021 lonelyplanet.com SPLIT •• History 217 0 20 km CENTRAL DALMATIA 0 12 miles Kupres Vrlika Peru™ko Krka Drniš Lake Krka S D National Šuica v Livno Park i E71 i l 1 C n ὈὈ M a etina Vodice Bilice j o a a Tomislav Grad Letka Šibenik s r e Glavice To Zadar Sinj i Zlarin ™ Stipani™i Brnaze Otok c Buško Jezero B O S N I A & Æirje Primorski E71 Primošten 1 Trilj H E R C E G O V I N A SPLIT & CENTRAL Dolac K o z ArÅano j a k Raško Solin Dugopolje Kaštela Cetina Polje DALMATIA E65 Seget Su™urac 60 D8 SPLIT V Kabal Trogir (1339m) Lovre™ Postranje Stobreø Posušje Jesenice Podstrana Imotski Drvenik 60 To Mostar Drvenik Mali Veli Splitski Channel Dugi Rat (25km) B Omiš Zmijavci Rogaø r a ø To Ancona k i E65 D8 Brela B Zagvozd (Italy) Grohote Neøujam Postira C h Baška i o a k Runovi™ Široki Brijeg Stomorska Supetar Puøiš™a n Voda n e o Šolta l Sv Jure v Slivno (1762m) o Milna Braø Selca A D R I A T I C Sumartin Makarska Vidova Gora S E A (780m) v a r s k i H Bol C h a Podgora n n e Vrgorac Stari l Hvar Grad Pakleni Jelsa Hvar Drvenik Islands To Ancona R (Italy) V Su™uraj il i š k i Sv Nikola i™ C h Zavala a n (628m) E65 n e N e Temple l r e t v D8 Ploøe Point Š™edro Point a n KomiÅa Vis s k Svetac Stonøica K Loviš™e i o r ø u Pelješac Trpanj C Bišev Vis l a n s h sk k i C h a n n e Peninsula a i C l n h Orebi™ a n Biševo n Korøula e n To Dubrovnik l e Vela Luka Korøula l (1km) (seafront) and replacing the former cement SPLIT strolling ground with a shiny, new marble pop 173,700 look. Even though the modern transformation The second-largest city in Croatia, Split hasn’t pleased all the locals, the new Riva is (Spalato in Italian) is a great place to see a beauty. The growing tourist demand also Dalmatian life as it’s really lived. Free of means that Split’s city authorities are under mass tourism and always buzzing, this is a pressure to expand the city’s transport re- city with just the right balance of tradition sources, and there’s talk that in the near future and modernity. Step inside Diocletian’s Palace the currently very handy bus station may be (a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the moved further out to make way for the har- world’s most impressive Roman monuments) bour expansion (for big, shiny yachts and and you’ll see dozens of bars, restaurants and monstrous cruisers?) and luxury hotels. shops thriving amid the atmospheric old walls where Split life has been going on for HISTORY thousands of years. Split’s unique setting and Split achieved fame when the Roman em- exuberant nature make it one of the most de- peror Diocletian (AD 245–313), noted for lectable cities in Europe. The dramatic coastal his persecution of early Christians, had his mountains are the perfect backdrop to the retirement palace built here from 295 to 305. turquoise waters of the Adriatic and you’ll After his death the great stone palace con- get a chance to appreciate the gorgeous Split tinued to be used as a retreat by Roman rul- cityscape when making a ferry journey to or ers. When the nearby colony of Salona (now from the city. Solin) was abandoned in the 7th century, Split is often seen mainly as a transport hub many of the Romanised inhabitants fled to to the hip nearby islands (which, indeed, it is), Split and barricaded themselves behind the but the city has been sprucing itself up and high palace walls, where their descendants attracting attention by renovating the old Riva live to this day..

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