Split is not only an urban, cultural and traffic centre of Dalmatia with road and sea connections to Dalmatia's numerous summer resorts, but it is itself often a tourist and excursionists destination.
A city with a 1700-year old tradition, a variety of archaeological, historical and cultural monuments, among which the well-known Palace of Diocletian, inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List, certainly occupies a special position, and the warmth and offer of a modern Mediterranean city.
The first detailed tourist guide through the town and its surroundings, published in 1894, bears witness to the long tourist tradition in Split.
To be able to grasp the historical significance of the city, one should first visit the museums of Split: the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments - a capital Croatian cultural project, established in 1893 in Knin; the Archaeological Museum from 1820, one of the oldest in Croatia; the Treasury of the Split Cathedral, including a valuable collection of religious art; the Ethnographic Museum, founded in 1910; the Museum of Marine History; the Museum of Natural Science.
The Art Gallery, established in 1931, the Collection of the Franciscan Monastery in Poljud, the Mestrovic Gallery, and other are also worth visiting.

Split, a city and port in Central Dalmatia; population 189,388. Situated on a peninsula between the eastern part of the Gulf of Kastela and the Split Channel.
A hill, Marjan (178 m), rises in the western part of the peninsula. The ridges Kozjak (780 m) and Mosor (1,330 m) protect the city from the north and northeast, and separate it from the hinterland.
Split has the Mediterranean climate: hot dry summers (average air temperature in July reaches 26 °C) and mild, humid winters (average annual rainfall is 900 mm).
Split is one of the sunniest places in Europe: the average daily insolation during the year is about 7 hours (in July about 12 hours). Vegetation is of the evergreen Mediterranean type, and subtropical flora (palm-trees, agaves, cacti) grows in the city and its surroundings. Marjan is covered with a cultivated forest.

Development of steam-shipping, construction of railroad connections with the hinterland before and between the World Wars, and particularly industrialization underlie the economic prosperity and increase of the population in Split.
Split is a business, administrative and cultural centre of Dalmatia. Apart from shipbuilding industry, other manufacturers include processing of plastic masses, cement industry, food and other products.
Vegetable, fruit and flowers are grown in the surroundings. Split is an important Croatian port in terms of passenger and goods traffic. It is the centre of the maritime connections with the ports on the coast and the islands and terminal railway station of the rail connections with the hinterland. Ferries operate regularly between Split and the central Dalmatian islands, as well as to Ancona in Italy.
Ship connections are established, except with the islands, with Pula, Venice, Dubrovnik and Greece. The airport of Split is situated in Resnik (Kastela). Split has many cultural and educational institutions and schools: the University of Split (established in 1974), the theatre, museums, galleries, institutes, and recently a specialized UN institution for protection of environment in the Mediterranean (Regional Activity Centre for the Priority Actions Programme).
The Spit Summer, a cultural event (open-air operas, plays and concerts), as well as music performances (Melodies of the Croatian Adriatic, Split Festival of Pop Music) take place every year.
Split disposes of a variety of sports facilities, swimming pools and piers for sports boats and similar. Both stationary and transit tourism record a permanent increase. New port, hotel and tourist facilities have been constructed. The coves within the city offer several public beaches.

Split has four marinas: Split ACI Marina in the north-western part of the City Port; the sports boats pier Spinut on the northern coast of Marjan; the sports boats marina Poljud in the Poljud Port; the sports boat pier Zenta on the eastern coast of Split. The City Port of Split in the centre of the city is used only for passenger and ferry traffic