Split, Croatia: Sightseeing Flight
Split is a major seaport, known since ancient times. The Roman Emperor Diocletian took a liking to this place; he built a palace here, built an aqueduct, and after retiring, took up gardening and vegetable growing.
And yet he came from the lowest strata of society. His grandfather was a slave!
His reign marks the beginning of the period in Roman history known as the Dominate.
Diocletian was a conservative and a supporter of traditional Roman worship; he even adopted the name Jupiter.
The old town, with Diocletian's palace and mausoleum, has been preserved.
Split Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. Domnius, is a Catholic cathedral. Ironically, the main part of the cathedral is the former imperial mausoleum.
The domed building is Diocletian's Palace. Among other monuments, Diocletian's Palace is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Within sight are also Romanesque churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, medieval fortifications, and palaces in the 15th-century Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.
The fortified wall surrounding the palace is clearly visible. Four gates lead inside, clockwise from the north: the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron gates in the west.
Near this tower are the remains of an aquiduct that delivered water to the palace from the Jadro River. It was approximately 9 kilometers long.
Incidentally, the palace has a dungeon, accessible by ticket.
There are also souvenir stalls.
Several Croatian research organizations still cannot agree on the number of islands off the country's coast: authoritative opinions range from 1,185 to 1,246. The question remains: how to get to the islands.
To answer this question, let's head to Port! The port is located right in the center of Split: just a 5-minute walk from the old town, and the train station and long-distance bus station are even closer. This port is constantly expanding to accommodate more cruise ships docking here and disembarking passengers without the need for tenders.
The ship anchors at sea and takes passengers ashore one by one using a tender (a motorboat or ship's boat).
As you can see, some very prestigious vessels frequent the port!
We head to the marina.
Here you can charter a yacht and sail wherever your heart desires.
It's worth noting that marina fees in Croatia are not cheap.
However, everywhere we stayed there was electricity, water, moorings, and showers.
Mount Marjan rises above the city, though it's hard to call it a mountain; it's more like a hill.
There's a zoo on Marjan. It is considered the smallest zoo in Europe (0.65 hectares). Founded in 1926, it houses approximately 20-30 cages and enclosures. Rare species are absent. Scientific research is currently virtually nonexistent; the park's primary purpose is entertainment. There is a small science museum attached to the park.
The zoo's fauna includes a pair of tigers, bears, wolves, three species of monkeys, ungulates, and several species of birds. Numerous peacocks are also present.
Until 2006, the zoo's collection was larger, but under pressure from animal rights activists (citing the zoo's small size, which prevented it from providing adequate conditions for exotic species), all rare animals were transferred to other Croatian zoos.
Not far from the coast is the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments, and further along the coast is the former Summer Residence of former President Josip Broz Tito.
A viewing platform on Mount Marjan features a large cross and the Croatian flag. And behind the hill is a club marina for approximately 800 yachts, and another marina a little further.
And on the cape behind the marinas is the Croatian Navy's Lora Naval Base. The main forces of the Croatian Navy are stationed here: the surface flotilla and coast guard units.
Split thrives on tourism; locals rent out a huge number of apartments, many of which, incidentally, are located right on the grounds of Diocletian's Palace.
In recent years, several 3-5-star hotels have been built.
Sustipan Park. A quiet, cozy place with a sea view from a sheer cliff.
Some facts about Croatia.
Until 1991, it was part of Yugoslavia.
With a population of 4 million, the country ranks 126th in the world by population and 126th by area.
A member of the European Union since 2013. The official currency is the kuna, and Croatia is on track to join the eurozone.
You can enter the country with a Schengen visa, but if you don't have one, you need a Croatian visa.
Interesting fact: One of the oldest olive trees in the world, approximately 1,750 years old, grows near Split. It is believed to have been imported from southern Italy and serves as a symbol of the tradition of olive oil production in Croatia.