Veli Varoš District

The Veli Varoš district

The Split audio-guided tour invites you to stroll in the Veli Varoš district, one of the oldest and most endearing of the city, a veritable village within the city.

The great suburb of the fishermen

Away from the crowds of the palace and the Riva, Veli Varoš unfolds a maze of narrow lanes, stone staircases, small hidden gardens and colourful shutters. Its name means "the great suburb": it is exactly what it was, a district built in the Middle Ages outside the walls of the Palace of Diocletian, to house fishermen, craftsmen, masons and modest families. For centuries, it was the working-class heart of Split, with its own identity, its churches and its traditions. Many houses there display the traditional Dalmatian style: limestone façades, red roofs, wooden balconies and exterior staircases. The district has several small old churches.

What there is to see

Veli Varoš charms with its village atmosphere, its cobbled lanes, its stone houses with red roofs and its small old churches. Away from the tourist bustle, it offers an immersion in authentic and working-class Split. It is one of the most charming districts of the city, to be explored without haste by getting lost in its lanes.

Practical information

The Veli Varoš district is to the west of the historic centre of Split. Its lanes can be walked freely on foot at all hours; they include stairs and slopes, to be taken into account according to your mobility.

What does Veli Varoš mean?

"The great suburb": a district built in the Middle Ages outside the walls of the palace, for the fishermen and the craftsmen.

What makes the charm of Veli Varoš?

Its narrow lanes, its stone houses with red roofs, its small churches and its authentic village atmosphere.