Split, Croatia: Architecture, Art & GoT

     

Split, Croatia: Architecture, Art & GoT

Hey guys! We're Shelbie and Lauren and we'll be introducing you to the beautiful city of Split, Croatia. As you can see this is a gorgeous waterfront town with a nice blend of classic and contemporary. They are known for their beaches and their historical sites like Diocletian's Palace and the Cathedral of St. Domnius, as well as the Ivan Mestrovic Gallery. We're excited to tour you through this incredible stopping point, and we chose it not only for it's seaside beauty, but also because it was one of the main filming locations for Game of Thrones (our second Game of Thrones filming location on an Adventure Abroad trip)!

Emperor Diocletian & Diocletian's Palace

The most popular attraction in Split, built by Emperor Diocletian as a "retirement home" in 305 CE in Roman military base style. He voluntarily retired from his position as Emperor of Rome and settled in this Palace before he died.The ruins are one of the most valuable surviving building of the Roman era, built from local limestone and marble.

Now the palace lies in the heart of Split, and has become Old Town adorned with cafés and shops. Its is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the #1 To-Do. Around 3000 people live in this area today, and at night the columns are illuminated with lights and garland, sprinkled with street performers and tourists and locals.

Also, the palace was used to film scenes from Mereen in Game of Thrones, where Queen Daenerys kept her Dragon's and the Throne Room.

Local Cultural and Natural Attractions

Though Diocletian's Palace is the most popular attraction, there are many more beautiful sights to see in this ancient city. Amongst the many are: The Cathedral of St. Domnius, The Ivan Mestrovic Gallery, Marjan Forest Park and the Marjan Stairway, Split Archaeological Museum, and the Klis Fortress. 

The Cathedral of St. Domnius

This cathedral was initially built in the 7th century. The 60-meter-tall bell tower can be climbed for a beautiful view of the Diocletian Palace. 

The Ivan Mestrovic Gallery

Sculptor Ivan Mestrovic's work can be seen all throughout the city of Split, but over 86 of his marble, stone, wood, bronze, and gypsum sculptures and statues can be seen in this museum and its beautiful garden.  The Marjan Forest Park is known for its gorgeous, towering pines trees and walking trails that overlook the city and Sea. The famous Marjan Stairway is also located here, providing access to the vantage point of Telegrin and another breathtaking view of Croatia's bluest waters. 

Marjan Forest Park

The Marjan Forest Park is known for its gorgeous, towering pines trees and walking trails that overlook the city and Sea. The famous Marjan Stairway is also located here, providing access to the vantage point of Telegrin and another breathtaking view of Croatia's bluest waters. 

     The Split Archaeological Museum 

This is the oldest archeological museum in Croatia. It holds over 150,000 artifacts including the country's largest collection of gems, hundreds of stone carvings, roman glass, and over a thousand clay lamps. Sounds like a great place to be if you're a history buff!  

   Klis Fortress

This fortress has quite the bloody past, but it is impressive in its structure and lengthy existence. It sits along a limestone bluff, id 385 meters at its tallest point, and is used to control the valley leading into town. There are numerous artifacts inside, including traditional clothing and swords. There's also an entire room dedicated to the filming of Game of Thrones, and is open to the public to explore. 

Game of Thrones

Known as one of the best shows in television history, Game of Thrones is known for its cinematographic beauty, riveting plot, and exceptional writing. (If you haven't watched it, you should!) For all of you loyal fans out there, and TV/Film lovers, I will tour you around Split as seen through the Game of Thrones lens.

As previously stated, a lot of Mereen was shot in Split, this is a scene shot on Split's Fortress of Kriss. It makes it even easier to imagine as centuries old when it's used for a medieval fantasy shooting location!

 A lot of King's Landing (The capitol of the entire country, where the Royal Family lives and a HUGE part of the show) was filmed in Split. The Baroque Stairs in Dubrovnik that Queen Cersi is pictured walking on became the stairs to the Great Sept of Baelor, where lots of important scenes were shot, for instance the Shaming Scene.


Lots of scenes in King's Landing were shot in Dubrovnik Old Town, so if you want to get a shot for the Gram that you can compare to the actual show, this would be a good place to do it! The bay pictured to the right was iconic throughout the show, signaling the arrival of a character and so many different plot progressions.

This last picture is a shot from the Red Keep in King's Landing, where the King and his family reside and where many, many battles take place.

I find it very cool that there are places in the world that can be used to film shows from medieval times. The U.S. doesn't have that luxury, or that history, and it's amazing that we're going to experience it all, and see it brought to life from the television screen. Can't wait!

Sources

http://www.diocletianspalace.org

https://www.boredpanda.com/tracing-game-of-thrones-filming-locations-asta-skujyte-razmiene-croatia/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/split-hr-da-s.htm
https://marinas.com/view/marina/jnc1129_Split_Riva_Marina_Split_Croatia
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Diocletian