Split is the main city in Dalmatia and one of the largest cites in Croatia. The city was first settled when, at the end of the third century AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace on the site of today’s Split. Diocletian’s Palace is well preserved Roman palace located now in the very heart of Split. 1,700 year-old Diocletian’s Palace -a monument unique, among other things, by the fact that life continues to go on within its walls. It has been since 1979 on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and is reputed to be the best-preserved example of antiquity period imperial palaces. There are no other antiquity period imperial residences built before or after Diocletian’s palace in Split that have preserved their original form to this extent. Many of Split’s historical and cultural monuments are located within the walls of Diocletian’s Palace. One of them is Peristil, the main open space in the palace with its colonnade of six columns and the cathedral on eastern side of the square.
According to the latest census, conducted in 2011 Split has 178,192 inhabitants. In terms of traffic Split is still the most important hub. It can be reached by ship, road, rail and air transport. City harbor records a constant growth in passenger number and it is known as the third port on the Mediterranean with a turnover of over five million passengers.
Along with the “Summer in Split” (Split Festival), a renowned cultural event, there are a growing number of new events in Split that attract tourists to this attractive and content-packed city. “Summer in Split” certainly stands out among culture events which have been joined by new ones: the Busker Festival, the concert program in the Diocletian Cellars, the Changing of the Guard on the Peristil with the appearance of Diocletian, the Nights of Diocletian and many more. All of this is followed by an increase in the hotel and hospitality industry offer that makes a stay in Split interesting and pleasant experience.
Worldwide Split is perhaps best known by its athletes and sports clubs. It is a hometown of Goran Ivanišević, the most interesting tennis player, Blanka Vlašić, the best high jumper in the world and Ivano Balić, the best handball player of all times. Split has the best Croatian rowers, the best taekwondo sisters, the best Croatian swimmer of all time, two youth chess world champions and sailors who are among the best in Europe. Its water polo clubs and other sports associations have won the most major European trophies, and athletes, along with numerous European and world medals, have won 69 Olympic medals! Therefore, given that Split has less than 200,000 inhabitants, and that it extends to less than 80 km2, people from Split claim that they live in the most sporting town in the world.
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