Split Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Split, Central Dalmatia, Croatia)

Tourist attractions in Split mostly reside in the huge Diocletian's Palace, which has long been integral to city life and resides right on the harbourfront. The palace is an ancient pedestrianised walled city with many striking old structures to check out, as well as museums, amazing galleries and the tiny Getski Vrtal park. Peristyle Square is a focal point of the palace and can be reached via the ancient Silver Gate.

Those into walking should take a morning stroll along the swanky Riva promenade, while further to the west is Marjan Hill, where tourists will find that the scenic views are difficult to improve upon. Bacvice Beach is the nearest of the public beaches around Split, although you are better off heading to one of the surrounding islands if you want pretty beaches and related seaside attractions. If you are simply looking for souvenirs of your Croatian holiday, then head to the Central Market (Centralni Trziste).

Walking Tours

A walking tour of the city ensures that you make the very most of your time sightseeing in Split. Simply taking a walk along the Riva promenade is a wonderful place to start, with this modern and trendy pedestrianised stretch running along the harbourfront and lined with cafes offering al fresco dining with a view. The Riva was revamped as recently as 2007, although some of the locals have not yet got used to its new, more contemporary appearance.

Most tourists choose to start their walk just outside of Diocletian's Palace, next to the Gregorios of Nin statue. From here, the route will take you past many of the city's most famous attractions. The most noteworthy of these include the 15th-century Chapel of Arnir, the Golden Gate (Northern Palace Gate), the Papalic Palace, the Town Museum, the Protiron, the Temple of Jupiter and the Cathedral of St. Domnius, where the Treasury, Romanesque Belfry, vestibule and basement halls are all real highlights.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

People's Square (Narodni Trg)

Address: Narodni Trg, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 345 606
People's Square lies in the Old Town, where it functions as the main square and is better known to the locals as the Narodni Trg. The square is located right in the midst of things and you will find it along the Kresimirova street, near the Silver Gate. Sightseers will discover that the Narodni Trg is a good place for people-watching and checking out the buildings of old, while nearby and to the west is the bustling Ribarnica fish market.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Peristil Square (Peristyle / Peristylium)

Address: Diocletian's Palace, Dioklecijanova 5, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 344 164
The Peristyle is a major open-top attraction in Diocletian's Palace, being the centrepiece of this epic complex. This glorified courtyard played a part as the ceremonial entrance to the imperial section of the palace apartments - framed by the Protiron, whilst also providing access to the mausoleum (now the Cathedral of St. Domnius Belfry), being a sizeable 35 metres / 115 feet by 13 metres / 43 feet. The Peristil plaza is flanked by impressive structures, including half a dozen granite columns on one side, together with various arches, ornate balconies and stone steps, where tourists often sit down for a rest. There is also a cafe situated here if you are in need of refreshments.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 21:00
Admission: charge

Marjan Hill

Address: Obala Kneza Braniurira 8, 21000, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 302 111
For a good perspective over the town and harbour, westerly Marjan Hill is a must, leading on from the Mestrovic Gallery. Marjan measures in at just under 180 metres / 591 feet in height, being popular with walkers and cyclists, while to the south of the hill are a series of cliffs highly suitable for rock climbers. The eastern side of the hill is home to St. Nicholas Church and there are other houses of God on the south side. Much of the hill is covered with lush Mediterranean pine forest, with further attractions including beaches, trails suitable for jogging, and the Split Science Museum and Zoo.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Central Market (Centralni Trziste)

Address: Hrvojeva, Split, Croatia, HR
The Central Market lies just outside of Diocletian's Palace, close to the harbourfront and Lucac neighbourhood, and right next to the Poljana Kneza Trpimira, where buses regularly depart for the airport. This bustling market takes place each day, come rain or shine, and is a great place to interact with the local Croatians. Come here to buy everything from fruit and veg, to clothing, shoes, bags, bunches of flowers, music, souvenirs and more.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Croatian National Theatre (Hrvatski Narodni Kazaliste - HNK)

Address: Trg Gaje Bulata, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 515 999
A different kind of attraction and one offering a touch of local Croatian culture, the state-funded National Theatre first opened its doors to paying theatre-goers in 1891 and each year plays host to a mixture of performances. Always popular are the ballets and operas, as well as the classical music concerts and the carol recitals at Christmas. Of note, further branches of the Croatian National Theatre are present in the cities of Mostar, Osijek, Rijeka, Sibenik, Varazdin, Zadar and Zagreb.
Open hours: hours vary according to performance
Admission: charge

Nightclubs and Entertainment

There is a surprisingly good nighttime scene present in Split, with lots of fun bars and clubs to choose between. Most of the bars tend to quieten down at around 01:00 in the morning, and so this is the ideal time to head to the nightclubs of Bacvice, where live music, disco nights and DJs will help you unwind further after a long day of sightseeing. Good clubs can be found on streets such as the Buvinina, the Osjecka, the Setaliste Ivana Mestrovica and the Cvjetna Zenta, where you can spend the night dancing on a waterfront terrace.
Open hours: hours vary according to club
Admission: charge

Spaladium Arena

Address: Zrinsko Frankopanska 211, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 560 111
The Spaladium Arena is a huge multi-purpose indoor arena, used for a mixture of sporting events and entertainment. Opened at the very end of 2008, the stadium cost a whopping €50 million to construct and features simple modern architecture, function rooms and an overall capacity of more than 12,000 spectators. Regular activities staged here include boxing matches, basketball games, concerts, charity events, trade shows, conferences and various exhibitions.
Open hours: hours vary according to event
Admission: charge

Poljud Stadium / City Stadium (Stadion Poljud / Gradski Stadion u Poljudu)

Address: Poljudsko Setaliste, Poljud, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 381 286
Another major stadium in the city, the Stadion Poljud is somewhat larger than the Spaladium, being open-air and capable of accommodating just under 40,000 people, which makes it the second-biggest in Croatia, after the Maksimir Stadium (Stadion Maksimir) in Zagreb. This important attraction is located within the Poljud neighbourhood and opened in 1979, when it was built specifically for the Mediterranean Games. Today, the stadium has become the home ground of the Hajduk Split football team and has a large grass pitch surrounded by a track used for athletics events, which in the past have included both the European Athletics Championships and more recently the IAAF Continental Cup.
Open hours: hours vary according to event
Admission: charge