Spit is the second largest city in Croatia, with almost 200 thousand inhabitants, and one of its and the world's treasures.

It has its origins in the 7th century through the occupation of the area that was the Palace of Diocletian, one of the great Roman emperors, who in the 4th century built this magnificent fortress to enjoy his retirement on the banks of the Adriatic Sea in the year 305.

The palace was protected by a rectangular wall about 20 meters high and four gates.

The internal area, with more than 30,000 m2 and hundreds of buildings, was organized into zones: the emperor's quarters, religious palace, military buildings and houses and streets in the style of a Roman city.

The Golden Gate, exclusive to Diocletian and his family, gives an idea of its grandeur.

The city is very visited by tourists and, therefore, you need to arrive before sunrise to photograph its most important historical points:

- The Peristyle, where the emperor appeared to his always kneeling subjects, and which still has one of the 3,500-year-old sphinxes brought from Egypt, which observes the events at the site over the last 1,700 years.

- The vestibule of the emperor's apartments (in the upper door, behind the pulpit), originally covered by a vault richly decorated with mosaics and today, due to its acoustic quality, used for performances by male vocal groups of Klapa style music, traditional of region of Dalmatia, whose main characteristic is polyphony.

- The Palace Basements (lower door), for centuries used as a rubbish deposit, which, ironically, ensured their preservation.

Other important symbols, such as the Temple of Jupiter (the God of Heaven) and the Mausoleum of Diocletian, were transformed into Catholic religious buildings, the temple gave rise to the Baptistery dedicated to Saint John and the mausoleum gave rise to the Cathedral of Saint Domnius in the 7th century , the oldest still in use in the world, with its 57 m tower incorporated later in the 13th century.

In the basement of the cathedral there is a crypt dedicated to Saint Lucia, one of the last victims of Diocletian for his persecution of Christians, who later sought to banish his memory and his pagan symbols.

Returning to the present day, Split is a feast for the eyes and for the flavors, with shops and restaurants spread across its alleys, squares and Riva: the seaside promenade, the center of the city's glamorous life.

From Split you can go on sea trips, including Hvar Island.

Another alternative is to visit the Croatian rural region, with emphasis on the Krka National Park, with its waterfalls and Visovac Island, which is home to the Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy and the Church of Our Lady of Visovac, from the 15th century.