Viking Ocean’s Mediterranean Odyssey Day 11 of 13

Weather Report

Partly Cloudy – 68 F / 20 C – a pleasant mid-October day along the Dalmatian Coast

Today’s Plan

Yet another Viking included tour is planned today. Walking the old city of Split, Croatia, then explore on our own.  Dinner in Manfredi’s tonight.

Viking Daily

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Split Walking Tour

• Cost/person: $0
• Viking Difficulty Rating: Moderate
• Duration: 2 Hours

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Walk through Split’s 17 centuries of architecture on this included walking tour.

Because we are berthed close to the historic city center, you will stroll with your guide to the old quarter. Split is one of the oldest towns on the Adriatic, built around the 4th-century palace erected for Roman Emperor Diocletian as a retirement haven. What is left of his sprawling home has been seamlessly incorporated into modern Split. Explore the city center around the palace and make your way along its charming cobblestone streets, passing beautiful pre-Romanesque churches and Gothic chapels. In the palace complex, you will descend into the well-preserved cellars. Stop to admire the stunning bell tower at the Cathedral of St. Domnius, the patron saint of Split. At the end of the tour, you will return to your awaiting ship.

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On the walk to Diocletian’s Palace our guide gave us a good historical overview. I thought he set a decent pace, I’ve never been a fast walker, but we had several people struggling to keep up even though the guide frequently stopped to ensure the group wasn’t getting separated. I think at least two were using walkers – when we reached the edge of Diocletian’s Palace, they decided to either join a group they thought was slower or do their own thing, I’m not sure.

This tour was clearly labeled as “moderate” which Viking describes as “Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours.”. I’d add that the stairs may be steep, uneven, and not have handrails either! Also, inclines may be on slick and/or uneven surfaces. So, if you are mobility-challenged, this tour may not be for you.

Before entering the cellars of the palace, our guide showed us the rendering of what the palace looked like in its heyday – including that where we were standing would have been in the sea! Inside the cellars was a topographical map of the region showing the location of the palace on the peninsula as well as the roads and the aqueduct bringing fresh water across the mountains to it.

The tour of the cellars was amazing to see the workmanship required to create the infrastructure to support the massive 1700-year-old building above it. Centuries of waste had to be removed, and sections restored to enable us to see it today in the 21^st century as it was in the 4^th century.

From the cellars, we progressed through the palace and town within its walls taking in the changes over the centuries of its occupation.

We found a Dalmatian quartet taking advantage of the acoustically rich sound within the Vestibule for tips. Within the Peristyle (central square), “Roman soldiers” posed with tourists for tips.

Diocletian brought in granite columns from Egypt as well as at least 12 3500-year-old Sphinxes (only 3 exist today). He created temples to the Roman gods as well as a massive mausoleum for himself. In the 7^th century the mausoleum was consecrated as the Cathedral of St. Domnius and is regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral still in use in its original building. The domineering bell tower was added in the 12^th century.  

Today, shops, hotels, restaurants and a cinema can all be found within the walls of the former palace structure.

We exited through the Golden Gate into a park containing more interesting structures such as a huge 28-foot tall statue of Gregory of Nin, a bishop known for opposing the pope in the 10^th century and leading services in the Croatian language instead of the traditional Latin.

Our guided tour ended at this point giving us free time to explore more and make our way back to the ship at our leisure. We strolled along the northern palace walls passing the Museum of Fine Arts, then continuing past the Game of Thrones Museum (yes, Split was also used as a filming location), then turning back towards the harbor on Marmontova Street until we reached the waterfront and boardwalk, then back to the ship for lunch.

For DIY-ers, the walk from the ship’s berth and around the harbor along the waterfront is easy and enjoyable. The route is flat, making it suitable for a leisurely stroll at your own pace. Along the way, we found benches placed periodically, offering plenty of opportunities to rest and take in the scenic views. In addition, there are several cafes along the waterfront, providing a pleasant atmosphere to relax and soak up the ambiance of Split’s harbor.

Afternoon and Evening Relaxation

We spent the afternoon relaxing onboard reading, writing, and enjoying the views – especially the sail-away from our aft cabin again. I love this view.

There may have been more card playing before watching the sunset from the Explorers’ Lounge as we head to our final port of Trieste, Italy.

It’s our last night at sea and the penultimate evening of our trip. We had one final dinner in Manfredi’s where I only took a picture of my Tiramisu and Disaronno. The hostess kindly took our picture as we left our favorite restaurant on this voyage.

I can see why the Dalmatian coast has become such a popular vacation destination. I hope to be able to return someday and explore more in the beautiful country of Croatia.