Split, Croatia

Split, Croatia is has changed names many times but the various names come from a shrub that is common in the area called the Spinybroom. With each conquering of the area, the name was shortened and altered. The Dalmation Coast - yes that is where the dogs originated - has been under the control of many cultures. The Greeks colonized it more than 2000 years ago. According to my guide, when they had trouble maintaining control of the region, they brought in the Romans to help only to lose it to the Romans!  After the fall of Rome, they were able to rule themselves until the Venetians took over in the 17th century with harsh taxes and colonial rule. Then the Austrians gained control in the 19th century.  It was part of Yugoslavia in the 20th century, and finally regained Croatian independence in 1991.  The city was not greatly damaged in these times of turmoil and was not often the site of fighting possibly due to the surrounding geography.  It was struck by Allied bombs during World War II, but very infrequently.

Split is the second largest city in Croatia with approximately 400,000 inhabitants.  The European Union does not consider their economy strong enought to use the Euro as its official currency, so while in Croatia, I had to spend the Kuna. The Kuna is named after a weasel whose fur was often traded in the region and pelts were often used as a form of currency.  

We docked the ship just inside the small bay port which has been in use even before Diocletian built his palace fortress.

Today, there was an international boat show going on in the harbor and many sailboats were docked in port.  It was a short walk to the city center from the ship which was visible from most of the city.

Below is the view on my walk from the ship.

This is the view from the top deck of the ship. You can see the surrounding moutains which provided a great deal of protection to the city throughout its history.

The tower in the center is the bell tower of the church built inside of what was once Diocletian's Palace.  The wall in front of it is part of the original walled palace.