The pretty city of Split has a rich history. Since ancient times
it has, in various guises, served as the economic and
administrative centre of the beautiful Croatian Adriatic coastal
region, today called Dalmatia. The city sits mainly on a peninsula
on the eastern part of the island of Ciovo, although it has
nowadays spread onto the mainland and encompasses the mouth of the
River Cetina. From the 5th to the 2nd century BC Greek colonists
settled the mainland and adjacent islands. Later, came the Romans:
in particular the Emperor Diocletian, who, being of Dalmatian
origin, elected to build a huge palace at a spot then called
Salona, in AD303. A town grew up around the palace, and eventually,
by the Middle Ages, the city of Split had begun to develop.
Diocletian's Palace still stands in the very heart of the old part
of Split, which charms visitors with its cobbled streets. The
greater Split area is characterised by its lush vegetation and
green areas, particularly Marjan Hill on the west of the peninsula
with its ancient indigenous forest. The city makes an ideal base
from which to explore the islands, beauty spots, and historic
villages in central Dalmatia.
