As we perused the holdings at the Split Archaeological Museum along Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, I found myself most drawn to the stone headstones bearing family portraits of citizens from the Roman Empire – some more than 2,000 years-old. Though the subjects’ faces were often weathered and lacking facial extremities, I enjoyed pondering how the family’s likenesses came to be carved out of stone. Had they sat for the sculptor for hours? Had they worn their best apparel, or had the sculptor depicted them in an idealized fashion? Could they ever guess that visitors would size them up thousands of years later?
Built in 1914, the Museum of Archaeology is the oldest museum in Croatia. It’s a delight to explore, especially combined with a visit to the ancient city of Salona, because that is where many of the museum’s headstones, sarcophagi, mosaics, coins and other everyday objects were discovered. Salona is about 5 km (3 miles) from Split, and at the time of Roman Emperor Diocletian, the city had a population of 60,000.
Some of the museum’s items, including a headless Egyptian sphinx statue, also came from nearby Diocletian’s Palace, where the emperor retired at the beginning of the 4th Century AD. Roman artifacts are displayed along with Greek ones, attesting to the area’s rich history.
Note: Photography isn’t generally allowed inside the building, so this set of images solely focuses upon the museum’s fascinating holdings in the atrium outside.
Are you an archaeology enthusiast? If so, what archaeology museums do you recommend? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
The Split Archaeology Museum website shows opening hours and has more information about the museum’s collections.
Also see the Split Archaeology Museum Facebook page and Instagram account. The museum even has a second Instagram account, which features playful content curated by the museum’s resident cat, Muse.
There’s also a Split Archaeological Museum Virtual Tour.
How to get to the Split Archaeological Museum:
Split’s Archaeological Museum is located at Zrinjsko-Frankopanska 25. It’s about a ten-minute walk from Diocletian’s Palace.
Split Archaeological Museum ticket prices:
More information about Split and Ancient Salona:
- OmnesViae: Roman Routeplanner and Vici: If you’re interested in old Roman routes and history, be sure to explore these two websites, which allow you to plot out a route and glimpse what Roman sites are along the way.
- Excavations at Salona, Yugoslavia, 1969-1972 (book)
- Picturesque and Historic Voyage in Istria and Dalmatia (book): Published in 1802, this book features beautiful engravings from the region, including some of Split (referred to by its Italian name, Spalatro) and Ancient Salona. The text is in French, and the engravings are interspersed with the text. Use your keyboard’s arrows to scroll through the pages more quickly.
- Roman Cities in Italy and Dalmatia (book): Published in 1910, this book is available on Internet Archive. See pages 264-283 for information about Salona.
- Online collection of antique Salona postcards (website in Croatian)
- Study of the Aqueduct of Salona 2014-2015 (academic paper)
Accommodation in the Split area:
Shawn and I have spent a total of five winters and one summer in and around the city of Split, using it as a base to explore Croatia’s popular Central Dalmatia region. We’ve made it a habit to create new memories by staying in a different property each year. Over the years, we’ve had long-term stays in Split, Trogir, Solin, and Makarska.
We would happily revisit all of the following apartments. (Please note that some are affiliate links.)
- Apartments Mirkec (Trogir) – We spent 7 wonderful weeks in this studio apartment, which is located in the heart of the town of Trogir. The apartment had good Wifi and a kitchen with all the basics. It was also perfectly situated in the heart of Trogir’s gorgeous Old Town, just a minute’s walk from the seaside walkway, the Riva. Trogir’s bus station was about a 5-minute walk from the Apartments Mirkec, making day trips using mass transportation easy.
- Kaleta Apartments (Split) – These lovely apartments are located within Diocletian’s Palace (well, technically just a few meters from the Iron Gate). Our elegant studio apartment, called the “Diocletian’s Suite,” had lots of character — including Roman brickwork embedded into the wall. We had overhead views of life on Split’s Old Town streets, and we enjoyed chatting with the friendly owners, Novica and Negri. We spent about 2.5 months here.
- Guesthouse F (Split) – This cozy studio apartment is located in Split’s Varoš neighborhood, just a few minutes’ walk from Diocletian’s Palace. With its quirky narrow streets and stone homes decorated with hunter-green shutters and flower boxes, Varoš is charming. One of Guesthouse F’s apartments was originally a horseshoe maker’s workshop, owned by Anja’s grandfather. Shawn and I dubbed it the “horseshoe cottage.” Aside from our central location, we loved having a tiny terrace. We also appreciated the kindness of our hosts, Anja and Miro. In total, we spent about 2 months here.
- Viola Apartment (Split) – We spent roughly 3 months in this wonderful 2-bedroom apartment, which is also in the Varoš neighborhood of Split. The apartment also has a lovely sun porch and garden. It is in an old stone home, but the interior has recently been remodeled. We were in a perfect location for accessing Diocletian’s Palace and Marjan Forest Park, too. On foot, it takes about six minutes to reach Split’s most famous lookout point near the Caffe Bar Vidilica. The owner, Ljubica, lives upstairs. She is easygoing and helpful.
- Apartments Missy (Makarska) – This 1-bedroom apartment was our home for about 5.5 months. The apartment is on the top floor and features skylights. A small balcony on the back of the apartment overlooks Makarska’s harbor — the views of Makarska’s dramatic mountains are wonderful! It takes about 8 minutes to reach Makarska’s bus station on foot. In a matter of minutes, you can also walk to Makarska’s Riva (seaside promenade), several grocery stores, restaurants, and cafés. The owners, Miše and Anna, are exceptionally friendly and helpful.
Looking for more Croatia trip-planning inspiration?
See my Croatia guide.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
Travels With Tricia 
Wonderful!!
TenaciousM, glad to hear you enjoyed the virtual visit of the museum.
That’s so cool! I’m used to seeing busts of Emperors, mythical figures etc. but a regular family – presumably they were wealthy and important – just makes it seem more relatable to our way of life where family is important too.
Nylonliving, you make a good point. Though I’m sure, as you pointed out, that this family was in a higher class and still idealized, having the chance to look at these relics does make the period of history more relatable. I think the stone portraits were my favorites for that reason, but I also enjoyed seeing the jewelry, the everyday cooking items, and the coins. Incredibly, many of the people that we met in this area shared tales of themselves or friends finding Roman coins in their backyards.
Many thanks for sharing your thoughtful comment and for reblogging. :)
Reblogged this on Just Go Places.
Beautiful photos, wonderful history – a stamp that confirms Croatia was always a part of European civilisation :D
Absolutely, Ina. Our first time in Split, we had so little time that we didn’t get to visit the city’s museums or Salona. But when had our three-month return visit earlier this year, we were amazed by the archaeological treasures in the area – Salona especially. (Another post is in production for Salona.)
In what part of Croatia did you grow up? I’m curious if school-children regularly visit these spots on field trips? I used to take ‘new world’ history for granted on field trips when I was growing up in the American Midwest, but I would think that children would be fascinated by this.
Finally, thank you for sharing this piece with your readers. I hope it might encourage others to combine a museum visit or two with their hop over to Croatia’s beautiful islands. :)
I believe school children do visit the Museum. And yes Salona is also a place of special significance for there the inscriptions were found to contain the name Croats – 9th century … I spent my childhood or much of it on the island of Korcula near the town of Korcula – another beauty of this world :D
Interesting, Ina – I just learned a new tidbit about Salona. :)
And you grew up on Korčula? We’d hoped to make it there during our most recent visit, but the weather just wouldn’t have been cooperative for the hop from Hvar to there. It sounds like a magical place, and one I look forward to someday soon seeing.
Hope you do get to Korcula one day, Tricia – it is a treasure of its own :)
Reblogged this on Croatia, the War, and the Future and commented:
European civilisation treasures in Split, Croatia
Thanks again Tricia.
A pleasure, Mark. Here’s hoping you’ll get a return (leisurely) trip to Croatia soon. :)
So wonderful and interesting!!!
We thought so as well, Barb. It was especially nice touring the museum during the Night of the Museums event. So many people of all ages out and about appreciating the region’s archaeological & cultural heritage. As always, lovely to hear from you, and a hello to your in-laws!
So amazed that you can remember me and my in-laws…much appreciated🙋🙋
Barb, connections are what make telling our travel tales fun. :) Wish you all a wonderful week, and thanks for continuing to join along on our adventures.
🙋🙋
Great walk through history…again, I just admire the feelings that you have in your posts (especially looking back into time). The Roman mosaics are incredible, my favorites as I have not seen any before :-) The art that goes into the sculptures perhaps resonate most deeply, because I can’t help but imagine them being created and in their prime. Wonderful series.
Archaeological museums are treasures, and it is great to find them around the world. The Shaanxi provincial museum in Xi’an was the first one I remember that really blew me away…as a young kid who wasn’t too thrilled to be visiting a museum, I was last to leave and then made it a one of my favorite places to visit/relax during my time in Xi’an.
Randall, sorry for responding in such an escargot-paced fashion – just found this comment. Archaeological museums do have a way of bringing out the inner child in us, I think. You mentioned going to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum as a young kid. Did you grow up in China? I bet its holdings are fascinating!
I grew up in a small town in Eastern Oregon, and I think that is what made the Shaanxi museum so fascinating (a new world laid out in front of me). Seeing 1000 year old city wall cannot help but take me back in time…felt just like a kid again :-)
Split must be a very interesting town. That museum is beautiful.
Split is fascinating, Gerard. When I first heard of the former Roman emperor’s palace there, I imagined it to be roped off and inaccessible. What makes Split remarkable is that a city grew up among the old palace walls. And not far away from Split is the ancient city of Salona – which was the source of many of the archaeological treasures pictured here. Since much of Salona hasn’t yet been excavated, it’ll be fascinating to hear what they uncover there in the future.
wow, it’s just wonderful! so rich and well-conserved relics!
Cris, that’s why we couldn’t resist visiting this museum twice. At nearby Salona, the archaeological site where many of the museum’s relics were found, they’ve only excavated a fraction of the area. This makes one imagine what other treasures haven’t yet been found.
Thanks Tricia for wonderful images about this small but so important museum. I’m so proud of my native town and its glorious history, but unfortunately sometimes, we local people, pay less attention then tourists do, on inestimable treasures of Split history.
Croato, thoughtful words coming from a native – thank you! We only lived in Split for about 3 months, but I was surprised that more international visitors don’t seem to visit the museum. We found it fascinating – so much so that we went twice. The exterior pieces were my favorites, particularly the headstones, which were like ancient family portraits. I suppose the “grass is greener concept” is prevalent among many in the world, causing people to overlook interesting spots in their neighborhoods or hometown. During the Night of the Museums event last year, we saw a lot of locals out and about in Split though.