Split, second largest city in Croatia is economic, administrative, educational, sport and tourist center of Split Dalmatia county, traffic connection to Croatia islands, pearls of Adritic like Hvar, Vis, Brac and Solta.

The first inhabitant of Split was the Roman emperor Diocletian who started to build his palace in this friendly bay around 293 AD.

The importance of Diocletian's Palace far transcends local significance because of its level of preservation and the buildings of succeeding historical periods built within its walls, which today form the very heart of old Split. Split's growth became particularly rapid in the 7th century, when the inhabitants of the destroyed Greek and Roman metropolis Salonae (present-day Solin) took refuge within its walls. The lovely ruins of Solin outside the city can still be explored today.

In the Middle Ages, Split was an autonomous commune. Many of Split's historical and cultural buildings can be found within the walls of Diocletian's Palace. In addition, numerous museums, the National Theatre, and old churches and other archeological sites in the Split region make it an important cultural attraction.

After the fall of Venetian rule in 1797, Split was ruled by the Austrians, and briefly by the French, before becoming part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes that was formed in 1918.

Much of its development occurred after 1920 when Zadar, Dalmatia’s official capital, became an Italian enclave, and Split took its place as the main city in the region. In 1941, the city was occupied by the Italians and a very strong resistance movement soon evolved with the city first being liberated in 1943, after the capitulation of Italy. Although then becoming occupied by Germany, it was finally in the October of 1944 that Split was liberated again when the first people’s government of Croatia was formed.

As part of Yugoslavia after World War II, Split experienced substantial growth as government investment in the city saw factories built for a number of different industries. Split had a large ship-building industry that saw Yugoslavia become one of the top countries in the world in that field; the city also became an important port.

Split did not suffer much damage during the war that broke out in 1991, despite the Yugoslav Navy and and the Yugoslav Army’s coastal district being based there.