French President Emmanuel Macron was in Split recently for the MED9 summit — the gathering of nine Mediterranean EU member states that Croatia currently chairs — but the most useful part of his visit for travellers was the route he took through the city's old town.
Accompanied by Mayor Tomislav Šuta and guided by Kristina Nuić from the city's culture, heritage and tourism department, Macron started at the Golden Gate, the grand northern entrance to Diocletian's Palace. From there he moved into the Peristyle, the palace's monumental central square, then took in the Cathedral of Saint Domnius and the Temple of Jupiter, two of the best-preserved Roman-era structures on the Adriatic coast.
The tour continued to the Vestibule, the circular entry hall of the former imperial residence, before finishing at Narodni trg — known locally as Pjaca — Split's traditional meeting square, now ringed by cafés and old merchant buildings.
Here's the thing: this is not a VIP itinerary. Diocletian's Palace is not a museum you enter with a ticket; it's the living centre of the city, with roughly 3,000 people living inside its walls and bars, shops and restaurants filling its ancient lanes. You can retrace Macron's entire walk in an hour or two, and it's genuinely the best way to understand Split. The Golden Gate gives you the original approach; the Peristyle is where the palace's scale hits you; climbing the cathedral's bell tower adds a view over red rooftops and the harbour; and the Vestibule is a favourite spot for local klapa singers, whose a cappella harmonies bounce off the stone domed ceiling.
Pjaca makes a natural finish, ideally with a coffee — Split residents have been socialising on that square for centuries. If you have more time, the basement halls of the palace (yes, the same ones glimpsed as Daenerys' throne room in Game of Thrones) sit directly beneath the Peristyle and are the best-preserved part of the whole complex.
The palace dates to the turn of the fourth century, built as the retirement residence of the Roman emperor Diocletian, and it's a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of Split's historic centre. That blend of Roman bone structure and everyday Croatian life is what makes it different from most ancient sites in Europe — you're not looking at ruins, you're walking through a neighbourhood.
For anyone flying into Split for a coastal holiday, the old town is a 25-30 minute bus or taxi ride from the airport, and this palace circuit is a perfect first afternoon before heading to the islands or the beaches. Macron's itinerary, in short, is a solid ready-made walking plan for any visitor.
