Split

Roman palace turned living city — beaches, nightlife and island hopping.

Split is Croatia's second-largest city and one of the most extraordinary urban spaces in the Mediterranean — a city where people live inside a Roman emperor's retirement palace. Diocletian's Palace, built around 300 AD as a fortified retreat, is now a Unesco World Heritage Site whose walls, towers and substructures form the skeleton of a living neighbourhood of apartments, restaurants, bars and boutiques. The palace peristyle (courtyard), the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (built into Diocletian's mausoleum — making it one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in the world), the vestibule, the Golden Gate and the underground chambers (where locals once kept livestock and which can be explored today) are all within the palace walls. The Meštrović Gallery, in the magnificent villa of Croatia's greatest sculptor Ivan Meštrović, is one of the Adriatic's finest museums. The promenade (Riva) along the harbour is the city's social spine — morning coffee and evening strolling are rituals here. Split is increasingly excellent as a city destination in its own right, not merely as a jumping-off point for the islands. The Varoš neighbourhood behind the palace and the Meštrović quarter are the most authentic for local restaurants and bars. Ferry connections to Brač (Zlatni Rat beach), Hvar, Vis and Korčula are excellent. The Dalmatian food — peka (meat and vegetables slow-cooked under a bell), fresh fish, prošut ham, local wines — is outstanding.