Diocletian’s Palace, Split: a visitor’s guide

Croatia’s second largest city developed inside the walls of Diocletian’s palace after the fall of the Roman Empire, with some of the original streets still linking the gates into the Old Town. Now one of Croatia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ancient buildings have been transformed into cafes and shops, with Roman structures used as Christian sites.

Exploring is easily one of the best things to do in Split, so here’s our guide to visiting Diocletian’s Palace.

Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered the palace complex built at the end of the third century CE for his retirement, with around half set aside for his personal quarters, while the other half was designed to house a garrison.

The location was chosen near Salona, the former capital of Dalmatia and the emperor’s birthplace. At the time, it was one of the largest cities of the late Roman empire, and some of its ruins remain today. It’s thought that building work on the palace began around 295CE, but was still continuing when Diocletian moved in after his abdication in 305CE. The emperor only spent six years here, until his death in 311.

When Salona was invaded and largely destroyed in the 7th century, part of the population fled to live within the palace walls, transforming the old buildings into a new city, with more houses created and churches added during the medieval era, until the remains of the palace was entirely woven into the new city of Split.

Today, a walk through Split’s Old Town takes you through the palace complex itself, so save time to stroll streets which everyone from the emperor to his troops would once have walked. But as well as soaking up the atmosphere and letting your imagination run wild, there are some specific locations to visit too.

Once Diocletian’s mausoleum, the building was turned into a Christian place of worship after the fall of the Roman empire, and dedicated to a saint martyred during the emperor’s reign. The emperor’s sarcophagus made from purple-hued Egyptian porphyry was destroyed long ago but some elements of the Roman building do remain, including its octagonal shape. You can also find some of the original mosaic flooring on display, while the columns around the outside have survived since the 4th century.

Cathedral of St Domnius

The 57m belltower was a 13th century addition, with the current version reconstructed after it collapsed in 1908, but it’s a great place to look out over the whole of Split if you can tackle the 200 steps leading to the top.

This series of underground rooms has survived since the Roman era, with the entrance a short distance from the Brass Gate. Leading from the waterfront promenade known as the Riva, the palace would once have opened directly onto the water, and the vaults include old storerooms.

As you explore the echoing chambers, you can see some artefacts on display, along with huge beams and columns, plus some background on the palace itself. Look out for the bust of Diocletian here too.

Opposite the cathedral of St Domnius, the former temple of Jupiter has also been transformed into a Christian religious building, the Baptistery. Dating from the end of the 3rd century it was converted in around the 6th century, with only a few Roman artefacts surviving.

A black granite sphinx outside, brought by Diocletian from Egypt, is now headless after being defaced by early Christians. Another ancient sphinx on the opposite side of the square gives an idea of how it might have looked.

Inside the Baptistery, there are now two stone tombs belonging to the city’s archbishops, as well as one of the earliest carvings of a Croatian king.

You’ll find Roman artefacts as well as artworks and medieval displays in the treasury on the Peristil square, now housed in a medieval palace. Set over three floors, some of the outstanding pieces include illuminated manuscripts and reliquaries, giving an overview of how the original Roman palace transformed into a Christian city.

Few of the palace rooms have survived without being transformed into something else, but you can see a couple of locations from the imperial palace in the area around the Ethnographic Museum.

The round vestibule is one of the most impressive, with an open space in the domed roof high above, while you can also walk through the emperor’s dining room, or triclinium.

Diocletian’s Palace isn’t a single location; instead, the majority of Split’s historic centre was once part of the palace. As you walk down the old streets, these were once part of the palace complex, while other buildings have been converted into restaurants and shops.

There are four gates leading in to the city, each named for a different metal, so as soon as you walk through, you’ll be entering Diocletian’s Palace. The grandest gate is the gold gate in the north, although most visitors enter through the bronze (or brass) gate leading from the waterfront Riva in the south.

The silver gate in the east and the iron gate in the west are connected by one of two main roads through the palace complex, known as the Decumanus, which once divided the emperor’s residence from offices and garrison rooms. Many of the key sights remaining from the palace are on the Peristil, the square at the heart of the old city, including St Domnius and the entrance to the vaults.

Diocletian's Palace

The most famous filming location in Diocletian’s Palace was used during the making of Game of Thrones, one of a string of places in and around Split featured in the show. It’s set within the underground area of the palace, near the Brass Gate, with one of the vaults shown as the place where Daenarys Targaryen kept her dragons chained.

The vestibule was used as a fight scene involving the Unsullied, who can also be seen walking through some of the streets, while the golden gate also doubles for the gate to the city of Meereen.

There are no limits on entry into Split’s Old Town, with the gates staying open 24 hours per day, so you can explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site at any time of day or night. However, there are limited opening times and tickets required for some of the specific locations within the old palace complex.

The vestibule and triclinium are free to enter, but you need a ticket to visit St Domnius, the Baptistery, Treasury and Belltower. Various combined tickets are available from the ticket office on the Peristil, including entry to some or all of the locations; it’s possible to visit the cathedral without paying to climb the Belltower, for example. Combined tickets for all attractions cost around 15 Euros, or around 10 Euros excluding the Belltower.

Opening hours vary throughout the year, with limited entry on Sundays and more restricted opening during low season when the cathedral is closed on Wednesdays. It’s worth knowing that the ticket office often closes for lunch between 1pm and 2pm, which also means you can’t enter the treasury as it’s set in the same building.

You also need a ticket to enter the Vaults, available to buy online in advance or at the entrance to the underground chambers, currently 8 Euros for adults. These are usually open from around 8am to 8pm, although hours may vary during the winter months.

You are expected to dress modestly to enter the cathedral, with shoulders and knees covered, and this is enforced at the ticket office and the entrance. You may be able to borrow scarves to cover up. There are no restrictions on entry to the Treasury or for Diocletian’s Palace in general.

Some areas of the palace are accessible, including entry from the Riva and into part of the underground cellars. The old town is also all pedestrianised, so there are no roads or pavements to negotiate although there are stairs at some gates. However, the paving is often uneven throughout Split and some attractions, such as the Cathedral of St Domnius, can only be reached by steps.

There are 200 steps to the top of the belltower, including stone stairs and a final set of metal steps to reach the top – be aware that as an active belltower, the bells may also ring while you’re in the tower. There’s often limited space and head height as you climb, so it’s not ideal if you don’t like confined spaces, and people need to climb in groups as there isn’t space to pass, so you do have a limited amount of time to reach the top (or make the descent). As an alternative, there are good views from the roof terrace of Ethnography Museum.

As Diocletian’s Palace isn’t a single attraction, you won’t find toilets or specific facilities like you would at other tourist sites. However, as the entire palace complex has been transformed into the Old Town of Split, you won’t be far from somewhere to eat and drink, with a string of cafes and restaurants along the streets.

There are also some public toilets on the Riva, as well as near the eastern gate, which have a small fee to use.

Explore the Diocletian’s Palace and the Old Town of Split on a holiday to Croatia