Wait ! Get a price-drop alert for your dream flight
Leave your trip details and your contact info and we'll notify you when the price drops. Book smart, don't overpay for your flights.
The hammering sounds coming from beneath Split's famous Peristyle Square weren't construction work - they were echoes of history. After three years of careful excavation, archaeologists have opened a network of Roman tunnels beneath Diocletian's Palace that haven't seen daylight since the 4th century. And what they've found will change how we see this UNESCO World Heritage site forever.
I descended the newly installed glass staircase with lead archaeologist Dr. Luka Marasović, who pointed to grooves in the stone walls. "These aren't wear marks," he explained, running his fingers along the parallel lines. "They're tallies - each one represents a day's work by the slaves who built this place." The tunnels, originally used for storage and escape routes, now feature interactive projections showing how olive oil, wine and even exotic animals from Africa moved through the palace's underbelly.
The highlight? The newly discovered "Emperor's Passage," a 200-meter tunnel leading directly to what was once the harbor. "We believe Diocletian used this when he wanted to visit his fleet unnoticed," Marasović said. Today, visitors can walk its length while augmented reality recreates the sights and sounds of ancient Roman sailors above their heads.
Pro tip: Visit at 4pm when sunlight streams through newly uncovered ventilation shafts, illuminating 1700-year-old graffiti including what appears to be a crude drawing of Diocletian himself.
Walk Through History in Comfort
After exploring underground, surface in style. PrestigeFly Travel Agency can arrange business class flights on Lufthansa's expanded Frankfurt-Split route, with private transfers to your hotel in the palace walls. Ask about our exclusive "Emperor's Tour" package including after-hours access to the tunnels with Dr. Marasović himself.
