The special feature of the old town of Split is that a medieval town has merged with a Roman Palace, and this is still visible.

The centre of the historical city is the Diocletian's Palace, built by the Roman emperor as his retirement home. Diocletian was the only Roman emperor who abdicated voluntarily. The former palace complex occupies the eastern half of the old town. In the medieval ages, the appearance of the palace has completely changed, in the 7th Century the first inhabitants of Split began to settle within the palace walls. Over time, the city grew together with the former palace and the original functions of its components changed. I enjoyed it much to explore the narrow streets, to look for the remains of the palace and to see how they were incorporated into the houses and buildings of the medieval town. Parts of the palace walls have been preserved, like almost the entire northern wall at a length of about 200 metres, and give an idea of the dimensions of the palace.

We entered the old town through the eastern gate, the Porta Argenta. Outside the gate is the Pazar, the daily market with fruits, vegetables and other foods – it is very busy, locals and tourists buy there. After a few metres we reached the central square, the Peristyle, an open hall with columns on three sides. All around the peristyle are the main sights: the octagonal mausoleum (now the Christian cathedral), right next the bell tower from the 14th Century (you have a beautiful view over the old town and the harbour), the vestibule and the stairs to the Podrumi, the cellars of the Palace. These underground rooms should not be missed, they are well preserved and have surprisingly high ceilings supported by massive pillars. During our visit there was an exhibition of contemporary Croatian art, but there are also stalls selling souvenirs, jewelry and the usual kitsch.

The western palace gate, the Porta Ferrea, leads to the People's Square (Narodni Trg), in the Middle Ages the centre of the city. Around the square are beautiful buildings mostly in the Gothic style, many cafés and restaurants. We finished our visit with a walk on the Riva, the waterfront of Split, along the southern palace wall.

If you do not mind the crowds of tourists, it is worthwhile to explore the old city and the former palace.