Split — Partisans' Shadow

Your journey begins on the Riva Promenade, a 250-meter seaside promenade developed in 1808 by French Marshal Marmont. This spot has served as the main gathering point for public events since the Austrian era (1813-1918). Here, you must collect the first clues hidden in the neoclassical architecture, while observing the crowd's movements. The Riva is the nerve center of Split, connecting the waterfront to Ulica Marmontova, laid out in 1823 under the Austrian Empire and 350 meters long, where you'll head next for new information.

Walking up Ulica Marmontova, lined with hotels and shops built between 1830 and 1900, you reach Pjaca (People's Square). This square, formerly known as Piazza del Popolo, has been the administrative center of the old town since the 15th century. The Palazzo del Prokurative, built in 1792 in Venetian Neoclassical style, dominates the square. Under Venetian rule (1420-1797), this Pjaca was the scene of markets and public executions, a strategic location to spread your resistance messages without arousing the suspicion of patrols.

Your infiltration leads you to the Iron Gate (Porta Aenea), one of the main gates of Diocletian's Palace, built around 305 AD. Four meters wide and facing south towards the sea, it was adorned with Egyptian sphinxes from the New Kingdom (circa 1400 BC). Emperor Diocletian used it as a ceremonial entrance upon his return in 305. Here you unlock a hidden message, revealing a secret passage to the Peristyle, the central oval courtyard of Diocletian's Palace, erected the same year.

In the Peristyle, a 36x13 meter courtyard, the remains of Diocletian's mausoleum, transformed into a cathedral in 650 AD, stand alongside the cylindrical temple dedicated to Jupiter, still visible to the north with its 14-meter height. This place, a witness to the history of Split, is a crossroads where imperial past and Christian faith meet. After deciphering a code hidden near the Golden Gate (Porta Aurea), the northern gate of Diocletian's Palace, 9 meters high and built around 305 AD, you understand the stakes of Split's defense against the Ostrogoths in 615 AD, a distant echo of your own struggle.

Your mission concludes near the Fruit Square (Tržnica), an open-air market operating since 1908, and the Prokurative. Tržnica, with its more than 100 stalls and Croatian modernist architecture completed in 1931, is the commercial heart of Split. The Prokurative, a neoclassical building constructed between 1792 and 1804 and classified as a cultural monument, served as the seat of the Austrian government after 1813. By traversing these locations, you have not only discovered the heritage of Dalmatia and the monuments of Split, but also the city's spirit of resilience, a visit to Split that will remain etched in your memories.