he Riva, Split's seafront promenade, runs the length of the old town and is one of Europe's finest. Surveyed from a stool on the balcony of the ST Riva café, the views across the harbour to the islands beyond are magnificent. No wonder the Roman Emperor Diocletian chose this spot in Croatia to build his lavish retirement palace in AD295. Today, despite centuries of additions, the palace remains the heartbeat of Split's old town; a unique mix of architecture in a maze of narrow streets.
My first taste of Diocletian's world contrasts sharply with the shiny modern
esplanade. I am in the dark and dank basements of the former palace,
accessed via the Bronze Gate that leads off the Riva. I explore the huge,
labyrinthine halls once used to make wine and press olives.
Exiting the basement up a steep staircase at the far end, I blink as I find
myself in the sunlit colonnaded Peristyle, formerly the palace's central
courtyard. All the main sights of the old town are a short walk from this
beautiful square.
Passing through the 13th-century carved oak doors of the St Domnius Cathedral,
I wonder what Diocletian, the notorious persecutor of Christians, would have
made of this place of worship, given that it was originally his mausoleum.
Inside, the highlight is the wonderful altar of St Anastasius.telegraph.co.uk
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