This past summer we had an amazing adventure of epic proportions which included a stay in Split, Croatia. We had flown into Zagreb and traveled to Split to spend a few days prior to the wedding of our son Micah and new daughter in law Wendy. I must admit we were pretty excited about what was to follow on August 20th but we had decided early on that we wanted to be over the jet lag and in good shape by the time their special day rolled around.
We stayed at a lovely resort a little ways outside of the city but it was close enough to be able to walk into town to enjoy all of the wonderful architecture and history. I am not a huge history buff and a lot of it escaped me but I definitely appreciate the “oldness” of it all.
Split is the second largest city in Croatia and is part of the Dalmatia region. It lies on the Adriatic Sea – a beautiful and vast body of water that draws tourists and locals alike.
Split is also home to Diocletian’s Palace . This amazing structure was built for the Roman emperor in 305 CE . The history of this place is complicated and if you want all of the details a great source to unearth the history would be this summary in Wikipedia.
From Roman occupancy to a Byzantine city, from autonomy to being caught in a struggle between being controlled by the Republic of Venice and the King of Hungary Split managed to come through all of it. At one point it was also part of the Austrian Empire so life in Split was never really guaranteed to be under the control of one entity. Finally in 1991 Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia during the Croatian War of Independence. As we drove around the country we saw evidence of that war. Bombed out structures still remain as a stark reminder of war.
The city is amazing. The Palace stunning. Most of my pictures show the depth of the “oldness” of the city. There is something humbling about being in a city this old. The history, the beauty, the sense of how ancient everything is just envelops each visitor to the area.
I thoroughly enjoyed our time in this incredible city and these pictures show just a small glimpse into our time. We walked about a million miles that day and Chris had the blisters to show afterwards. I wore more sensible shoes this time. Fashion was not my statement during this trip when it came to footwear, that is for sure, but I had happier feet.
While a great deal of the history of this place did not stay in my memory I can still appreciate it. I don’t need to retain all of the facts and figures to be able to stand in awe of a beautiful place. I hope you enjoy the short walk through this historic and beautiful place. 
What is the most impressive place you have visited? Have you ever been to Split, Croatia? Tell me all about it in the comments section . Each comment made on any post this month means a 50 cent donation to our Comments for a Cause Knox Blocks Foundation.
16 Comments
Leave a commentThanks for taking us along with you on that trip through your great photos!
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Never been to Croatia so thanks for the lovely photos. The sky is so blue! I have been to China!
It really is a beautiful place and the sky was almost Carolina Blue!
As you know, this is my kind of place. I just love all the history in Europe and can´t get enough of it. Haven´t been to Croatia yet but have been to many historical places here in Spain and Malta! if those walls could talk, there would be many stories, some sad, unfortunately. Your pictures are fabulous!
You would love all of the history that surrounds Croatia. It is steeped in history and it would intrigue you I am sure. I am sure Spain holds many of the same things and that is the perfect place for you to explore.
I’ve heard Croatia is very pretty and know of many people who have visited. I have never been but maybe one day I will go… The pictures are great.
You would find so much to enjoy in Croatia. The views on the Adriatic are spectacular and the “oldness” of everything is so inspiring. I would go again but maybe when it was a little bit cooler. 🙂
How pretty is that! Soooo historic. It only takes a trip across the pond to remember historically speaking the United States as a country has only been around for an eye blink.
It really does strike me when I am in a place like Split how much more history there is around than in the Us. It is pretty awe inspiring.
I’m with you on not being an in-depth history buff. Still, I appreciate the old. What a stunning city. I especially like that last pic of the buildings next to the water. Such a calming and pleasant scene.
It really is a stunning place and we had such a wonderful time exploring it. Even though it was incredibly hot when we were there we managed to see a lot of the city and of course I took so many pictures. It is just difficult to decide which ones to share!
Loved this photo tour.
Thanks for stopping by and traveling with me!
Oops, I guess I missed this post! Beautiful photos! I felt the same way about being in an old city when I was in London and Paris. Really wonderful. BTW, I forgot to mention to you, but Shelley, for my birthday, gave me a pair of earrings that she bought in Crotia! I think I was wearing them when we had lunch the other day!
Yes! Exactly! Old places just really touch my heart in ways that are indescribable. I love that you have earrings from Croatia. I did get a few pieces of jewelry from there as well.