On entering the eastern gate into the historic center of Split, enclosed within the walls of Roman emporer Diocletian's Palace, I was immediately drawn to the Cathedral of Saint Domnius and its beckoning bell tower. The view from the tower was spectacular, and I was treated to an early morning 360 degree panorama of city walls, historic stone architecture, and red-tiled roofs, set against a backdrop of lush green peninsulas and the deep blue waters of the Split Channel. Split has been a World Heritage Site for almost 40 years, and the committee made a good choice in those early years. The city offers a rare opportunity to tour a historic Roman palace, which has now been subsumed into an urban environment. The columns and arches of the palace are still on display in the Peristyle, the palace court, while the mausoleum of Diocletian was converted into the Cathedral of Saint Domnius some 300 years after it was constructed. I particularly enjoyed exploring the nderground vaults beneath the city, which give perhaps the best view of what the palace may have looked like in ancient days. Diocletian was the first Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate the throne, and he certainly picked a spectacular spot on the Dalmatian coast to spend his remaining days.

Logistics: The Historic Center of Split is very easily navigable on foot.