City of Split
Just beside Dalmatia’s largest city, Split — home to around 200,000 residents — lie the ruins of Salona, once the largest Roman town on the eastern Adriatic and the capital of the Roman province. It was also the birthplace of Emperor Diocletian, whose magnificent palace put Split on the map more than 1,700 years ago. The city’s core developed on a peninsula surrounded by small towns and villages, which over time merged into the greater Split metropolitan area. Today, this urban region counts over 400,000 inhabitants, making Split Croatia’s second-largest city and its biggest coastal center.
Split is a true Mediterranean city, blessed with around 270 sunny days a year and a living history that stretches back over two millennia. Thanks to its rich cultural heritage, beautiful beaches, and stunning natural surroundings, it is affectionately known as “The Flower of the Mediterranean.”
In addition to being the largest city in southern Croatia, Split serves as a major transport hub — home to the country’s busiest airport and largest passenger port, and easily accessible by highway, just a four-hour drive from the capital, Zagreb.
Split proudly celebrates its sporting heritage. The city has produced 98 Olympic medalists, commemorated along a 250-meter-long promenade in the city center where their names are engraved. These achievements — together with countless others in various sports — inspired the creation of Split’s Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. It’s easy to see why locals call Split “the sportiest city in the world” — sport truly runs through the city’s veins. The southern spirit, Mediterranean passion, and easy-going yet warm and welcoming mentality of its people shine brightest when they cheer for their teams or host major sporting events.
This sports spirit is perhaps best embodied by the football club Hajduk Split, supported by hundreds of thousands of loyal fans. Its stadium stands as a reminder of the city’s proud tradition of hosting major sporting events, including the Mediterranean Games, which left a lasting mark on Split’s development. The city also boasts a basketball club that FIBA named the best team of the 20th century. Many legendary athletes — including Basketball Hall of Famers Toni Kukoč and Dino Rađa, as well as Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević — took their first sporting steps right here in Split.
University of Split
Split is a vibrant university city, home to the University of Split — the second-largest academic institution in Croatia, with more than 20,000 students, 11 faculties, one academy, and four departments. Sport plays a central role in university life, with numerous sporting and recreational opportunities available to students throughout the year.
The city of Split has proudly hosted five EUSA Championships so far: Basketball in 2013, Beach Volleyball, Sport Climbing, and 3x3 Basketball in 2017, and Futsal in 2023. For the past two decades, Split has also been the host of the prestigious International University Rowing Regatta “Sveti Duje,” which regularly features some of the world’s most renowned university crews, including those from Oxford and Cambridge.
