Split Diocletian's Palace

(Split, Central Dalmatia, Croatia)

Diocletian's Palace (Dioklecijanova Palaca) is the main highlight of a visit to Split for most visitors. This famous Croatian complex forms an ancient walled city and comes loaded with further palaces, temples and ruins, facing out onto the harbour.

Ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, this vast Roman palace is home to over 200 buildings and is visited by thousands of people each day. Highlights can be found in the palace's basement and along the main streets of Decumanus and Cardo. Diocletian's Palace is open daily and is completely free to enter, yet many of the temples have their own fee.

General Information

Built over a ten-year period in the early part of the 4th century by Roman emperor Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, better known as Diocletian, the building materials of the palace were the finest possible. Marble was shipped in from Greece and Italy, as well as stone columns all the way from Egypt.

Strangely, the palace was only used for a short time, being abandoned by the Romans and remaining quite empty for several centuries. Nowadays, Diocletian's Palace is the principal tourist magnet for Split and its labyrinth of alleyways comprises a mixture of museums, religious buildings, attractions, restaurants, bars and shops. In total there are more than 200 individual buildings.

From east to west, Diocletian's Palace measures in at just over 210 metres / 690 feet, being roughly 180 metres / 590 feet wide on its southern side. As you explore the outer walls you will find that each has its own gate, named the Golden Gate (north), the Silver Gate (east), the Bronze Gate (south) and the Iron Gate (west).

Walking tours of Diocletian's Palace are the best way to see what is on offer here. The most obvious attractions include the Cathedral of St. Domnius, the Papalic Palace, the Peristil Square, the Temple of Jupiter and the Protiron, which forms the entrance to the imperial quarters.

Address: Diocletian's Palace, Dioklecijanova 5, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 344 164
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 21:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for students, children and seniors