Things to do in Split, Hvar & Dalmatia

Split's UNESCO-listed old town grows out of Diocletian's Palace: walk from the red-granite columns of the Peristyle through the Vestibule into the Substructures, enter by the Golden, Silver, Iron or Brass Gate, and climb the 57 m bell tower of the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, set in the former mausoleum, for a view over the rooftops. Marjan Forest Park rises right beside the centre with paths and lookouts up to the Sedlo watchtower, while nearby Trogir, the 'City of Masters', is a stone labyrinth that begins at Radovan's portal and ends at the Kamerlengo Fortress on the waterfront. Further north, the Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik is built entirely of stone and ringed by a frieze of 71 human and 3 lion heads, Krka National Park centres on the Skradinski buk waterfalls, and on Zadar's waterfront the Sea Organ plays beside the Greeting to the Sun, a 22 m circle of solar panels that glows after dark. Out on the islands, climb to the Fortica fortress and its amphorae above Hvar town, see St. Stephen's Square and the Hvar Theatre of 1612, and swim off the shifting pebble tip of Zlatni Rat Beach on Brač.

Good to knowKrka National Park stays open in winter with shorter hours from November to February, and buying tickets online saves queueing in busy months. The Cathedral of St. James is an active church, so dress appropriately, wear good shoes for the walk up to the Fortica, and check the Trogir tourist board's opening hours and price list for each sight. Reach Zadar's Sea Organ before sunset for views over the channel, and save Zlatni Rat for a summer swimming day.