Did you know that the city of Split was named after the Spiny Broom shrub? This shrub has sharp thorns and bright yellow flowers in the spring. Because so many Spiny Broom shrubs grow around the Split area, the city was named after it. The Greek word for Spiny Broom is Spalatos, and over the centuries the name changed into Split.
With the rich history that Split has, you would probably have expected a more interesting story about the origins of its name. The second destination of this twin centre holiday in Croatia, the island of Vis, was originally named ‘Issa’ by Dionysius the Elder, ruler of Syracuse. We can imagine a name like that belonging to a mighty leader, a nobleman or a brave warrior at that time, making it sound far more interesting.
Although the Spiny Broom may not rank very high on the list of prettiest shrubs, the city of Split does score high points when it comes to the most beautiful cities on the Adriatic coast.
What makes Split so unique is the amazing Palace of Diocletian. It is one of the most imposing Roman ruins in the world, even though it doesn’t really look like a palace at all. It used to be the imperial residence of the Roman Emperor Diocletian but was actually designed as a fortified town, in which the daily life of city residents still continues right now. More than 200 buildings were built inside the palace walls and about 3000 people are lucky enough to call this amazing place their home today. Many proud restaurant and shop owners can say that they run their daily business inside a Roman palace that is more than a thousand years old.