Things to do in Split

Split’s pièce de résistance is the Diocletian’s Palace. Built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 295 AC, it remains the city’s central ingredient. Over the centuries, the palace has been gradually transformed into a warren of houses, tenements, churches and chapels by the various people who came to live here after his successors departed. You don’t need to be ashamed of getting your tourist map out here - the palace hosts a daily melee of tourists and shoppers, so you’ll be in good company. Many of the city’s main sights are clustered here: inside the grand gates, you can’t miss the Peristyle - the palace’s symbolic heart - Split Cathedral and baptistry. The Ethnographic Museum, Vidović Gallery and City Museum find their home here too.

One of the best things to do in Split is to kick back with a cappa with the sun on your face. The city is famous for the vivacious outdoor life that takes over the streets in all but the coldest and wettest months: as long as the sun is shining, the swish cafés of the waterfront Riva are never short of custom. Want to stay in the thick of it? There are plenty of Split holidays to choose from.

Occupying the expansive halls of a former hospital, this gallery kicks off with a collection of medieval altarpieces from all over Dalmatia. For something a little more modern, two Dalmatian painters who loved to splash their colours around were Ignjat Job and Ivo Dulčić, whose Adriatic island-scapes have a jazzy modernity. The most gripping section is the contemporary collection on the ground floor.

Split is synonymous with beach life: postcard-perfect white pebbles lapped by clear turquoise waters. Bacvice beach has long been Split’s main focus of summer leisure, with real sand underfoot - a rarity in Croatia - and a shoreline promenade lined with cafés. Other choice beaches in the area include Žnjan - where Pope John Paul II held Mass in front of 50,000 people in the late 90s - and Kašjuni - a strip of fine shingle that largely lacks any accompanying facilities, making it the perfect choice for connoisseurs of idyllic bays.

Prepare to have your taste buds tingled in Split. The traditional Adriatic repertoire of grilled fish, fried squid and seafood stews central to the cuisine of southern Dalmatia is fresher-than-fresh and mouth-wateringly good. Don't miss the Dalmatian speciality of pašticada (slabs of beef stewed in prunes and red wine) while you’re in town, either.

Budding archaeologists should make for the expansive site of Salona, set among olive groves and only a short bus ride from Split. This ruined Roman city is thought to have been the fourth-largest settlement in the Roman Empire in its heyday - yet only 10 to 15 percent of this huge site has been excavated so far. There’s certainly a great deal to see, with ancient ruins poking out from among the meadows, olive trees and vineyards.

Of all the cliff-hugging castles in Croatia, Klis Fortress is the most impressive - anyone with a head for heights will want to add this to their list of things to do in Split. The steep rock pinnacle around which the modern town huddles was fortified by the Romans before being taken over by the expanding medieval kingdom of the Croats. The use of Kliss Fortress in Game of Thrones (in which it doubled as Meereen, the slaver-city conquered by a certain Daenerys Targaryn, if you didn’t know) has provided the site with additional allure.

Lost for what to do in Split? Escape the modern city by taking a trip back in time at the Split Archaeological Museum. The small but beautifully presented collection of Illyrian, Greek and - particularly - Roman artefacts is mostly plucked from the rich excavation sites at nearby Salona. Treasures include delicate votive figurines, amulets and - in a section entitled ‘domestic life’ - an oil lamp embellished with a tiny peepshow of lewd love-making. No prudes allowed.

The Ivan Meštrović Gallery is housed in the palatial building that the country’s most famous modern sculptor planned as his home and studio. Even if you’re not mad about Meštrović, this is still an impressive collection. We challenge you not to be moved by the portraits of members of his immediate family in the ground-floor drawing room - especially My Mother from 1909.

One of the former barrack buildings inside the Grip Fortress - uphill from the Old Town - holds the Croatian Maritime Museum, an entertaining collection of knick-knacks arranged over several halls.