TUESDAY, MAY 14
MARJAN HILL AND PARK
We mapped out a plan to walk the full loop of the Marjan Hills, and headed to the “google” entrance (not the one we couldn’t find the day before that the taxi driver had pointed out to us). The google directions led us to the top of the stairs we climbed the day before, by the cemetery and restaurant.
Either stairs or a dirt trail can be taken at the entrance to Marjan Hill. We chose the stairs and watched Split grew smaller, the ocean larger, and the vistas more spectacular as we ascended.
The sun moved in and out of white, fluffy clouds. The winds were unusually high for the Dalmatian coast, and pulled and pushed the trees.
CHURCH ONE
The churches in the Park were built in the 15th C. of the same white stones that were and are used throughout Split and other Croatian cities. It is said they are the whitest stone in the world. I wonder if the stones, under the ocean, might contribute to the glowing light of the water along the coast.
The first church we saw reminded us both of Santa Fe (though clearly not adobe, but it is similar in size and shape to the small missionary churches there) and of the tiny church we’d seen in the Edinburgh castle, with it’s thick walls and tiny interior space. There are at least three churches in the park and all worth finding…as each is unique. The first two we found were not used, but the last one, off the beaten path and not much visited by tourists, is still used. In it, a small red candle burned, and four folding chairs were stacked on the wall.
CHURCH TWO – AND A CHAPEL IN STONE
The second church is carved into the cliff about two kilometres inside the park. To get there, we first climbed to the top of the hill (where strangely there is a zoo), ignored a road blockade where some men were cutting down trees, and followed the trail, passing rock climbers. The church is tucked up against the cliff, with small rooms or chapels built directly into the stone, much like cave churches in Cappadocia, Turkey.
It was from this point we went wrong…or right, depending on opinion. I wanted to go to the white beach we could see far below so we headed down a paved road that twisted back on itself several times. When we realized the road would lead to the main road with no sidewalk, we stopped and changed course. At this point, though, we were near the bottom of this steep hill. We had a choice – to climb back up the way we’d come, or find an alternative.
AN ALTERNATIVE TRAIL : CHURCH THREE
The alternative was a narrow dirt path, not much taken, overgrown with bushes and more exciting because of it (too bad we were both hungry, grumpy and getting tired). It was along this narrow path that we found the third and hidden church.
This path is quite isolated so we hurried along aware that if someone were lurking somewhere we would be on our own. A map of the Marjan Hill trails can be found here.
OLD TOWN, SPLIT
We covered 14 kilometers in Marjan Park (Chloe’s fitbit was working again!), and emerged on a high street above Old Town.
THE DIOCLETIAN PALACE
The Diocletian Palace is one of the best preserved monuments of Roman architecture in the world! This marvelouse structure has withstood 17th centuries of wear and it’s large, heavy blocks of cut white stone are stacked to perfection and balance. The rotunda dome of the vestibule entrance to the Emperor Diocletian’s home is huge and impressive like everything else about the Palace remains. The Emperor Diocletian entered the Palace’s Golden Gate, which now fronts the promenade of restaurants and docked boats, in June 305 AD. He would stay here in the summer villa. It was used as both luxury house and Roman military camp.
Within the Palace walls are museums, restaurants, shops, and apartments. We visited two museums.
In the first museum, a video from 2015 documented people involved in a resistance movement that opposed recent privatization of companies. They believe that privatization has destroyed many local companies and reduced workers’ wages. The second museum exhibited historical items, such as furniture, paintings, weapons, and knick knacks from Split’s past. It told the story of wealth, struggle and survival.
Later, staring down into a lower part of the ruins, a local, former fisherman, now apartment owner, introduced himself and began talking about the Croatian people, and the architectural brilliance of the Romans. We left to join crowds of other visitors, and observed the Palace’s beautity and physical strength along side the weakening apartments, many crumbling, where people still live. The tourist consumption juxtaposed with with hints of poverty was unsettling.
Still, we were enchanted by this complex city with such a long history, and wished we had more time here.
