Split – a holiday in an old town like no other
Croatia
Created by Mondo for Finnair
A headless sphinx stands guard outside the temple of Jupiter. The Roman columns give shade to a café. Children playing football in a courtyard under Venetian windows. A holiday in the ancient town centre of Split, the second largest city in Croatia, is rich with historical layers and modern life.
The history of Split leaves nobody cold. The Roman Emperor Diocletian built a magnificent palace on his native Dalmatian coast in the early 4th century AD. The marble was shipped from Italy, the sphinxes from Egypt. More than a thousand years later, the Venetians built their own city on the ruins of Diocletian’s Palace.
The result is one of the most astounding old town centres in the world. Here, antiquity meets Venetian influence, and there is also a touch of irony, too: while Emperor Diocletian is known for his persecution of Christians, his mausoleum is nowadays a church.
Besides the old town and its alleyways, another famous sight in Split is its seafront promenade, Riva. The best restaurants in Split are located in the old town, when heading towards the Marjan hill.
