Diocletian’s Palace

Welcome to one of the most extraordinary sites in the entire Mediterranean: Diocletian’s Palace. But don’t be fooled by the word “palace”… What you see before you is a vast fortified complex, part imperial residence, part military garrison, built at the turn of the 4th century AD. And more than that, it’s the beating heart of Split. Even today, people live here, work here, sip their coffee here… as if history never really left. The palace was commissioned by Emperor Diocletian, one of the rare Roman emperors to voluntarily step down from power. Born in this region, he returned to the Adriatic coast to spend his retirement here. But “retirement” didn’t mean doing things halfway: the palace covers nearly 40,000 square meters, with 20-meter-high walls, 16 defensive towers, several monumental gates, and buildings for both civic and religious use. Its layout is pure Roman, a rectangle crossed by two perpendicular streets dividing it into four inner quarters. There was a mausoleum (now the cathedral), temples, baths, imperial apartments, barracks… and even vast underground halls once used for storage, kitchens, and perhaps the occasional political intrigue. Here’s a surprising twist: after Diocletian’s death, the palace was no longer used by emperors. But in the 7th century, when the nearby city of Salona was destroyed by invaders, its residents took refuge inside these ancient walls. They built homes right within the ruins, in courtyards, under arcades, between the columns. And just like that, Split’s historic center was born, literally within the bones of Rome. This unique layering creates a stunning setting today: you can sip coffee in Peristyle Square surrounded by Roman columns, a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sphinx, and a medieval cathedral. The palace cellars, sealed off and forgotten for centuries, were rediscovered and restored in the 20th century, and later became a filming location for Game of Thrones, standing in for the chambers where Daenerys kept her dragons. Locals, however, have long preferred an older legend: that real dragons once slept there. Architecturally, Diocletian’s Palace blends classical Roman features with Eastern and Egyptian influences, Corinthian columns, barrel vaults, decorative friezes alongside massive, functional elements like surveillance galleries and service courtyards. It was at once an imperial palace, a military fortress, and a miniature city. And over 1,700 years later, it’s still very much alive. Residents still call it home, shops and cafés spill into its streets, and every stone speaks of a rare fusion: Roman grandeur, medieval life, and modern-day energy.