Split, Croatia

Split is the second largest city in Croatia. It is located on the coast in the South of the country. It is a very old and beautiful town and it is also an excellent base for watersports such as sailing or windsurfing.

The most important sight is Diocletian's palace. Get a locally published guide in English which describes this monument in great detail. Do not miss the Peristyle which is the main open space in the palace and is surrounded by a colonnade of six columns to the eastern and western sides and an arch, decorated with garlands, in the centre.

On the eastern side of the Peristyle is a cathedral, which is the symbol of the city (Sv. Duje) On the western side is the "People's Square" (Narodni trg) with the old town hall which was built in the 15th century. There is an Ethnographic museum on the square (worth visiting) and nearby is a city museum. Don't miss a remarkable statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski), a Croatian religious leader from the 10th century, by the most famous Croatian sculptor, Ivan Mestrovic.

There are also some fascinating museums like the Maritime Museum; the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments; the Museum of Croatia; and the Mestrovic Gallery, which is housed in his summer residence, finished in 1939 and designed by Mestrovic himself.

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