Solin – ancient Salona

Solin is today a small town just north of Split – and once was Salona, the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. At its peak in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, Salona had around 60,000 inhabitants, more than many other Roman cities on the Adriatic. Julius Caesar elevated it to a Roman colony around 48 BCE, and Emperor Diocletian – who later built the palace in Split – was born nearby.

Today Salona is an open-air archaeological site: wide fields of crumbling walls, foundations, the outlines of basilicas, an amphitheater, cemeteries. It’s not a dramatically restored site like Pompeii – more of a landscape where you can imagine an ancient city among grass and olive trees. History-minded visitors love it for exactly that quality.

What you’ll see

• Amphitheater from the 2nd century, seating originally for 15,000–18,000 spectators. The lower tiers still stand.
• Early Christian basilica (Manastirine) – former bishop’s seat with a Christian cemetery. One of the most important early-Christian find sites on the eastern Adriatic.
• Town walls with well-preserved gates and towers in places.
• Necropolises with sarcophagi – several still sitting in situ in the landscape.
• Tusculum – a villa built by Austrian archaeologist Frane Bulić in the late 19th century as an excavation base; today the visitor center.

The major finds (sculpture, inscriptions, mosaics) are at the Archaeological Museum of Split – combine the two if you want the full picture.

Practical notes

• Entry fee is modest. The site is large; allow 1.5–2 hours for a good overview.
• Sturdy shoes – the ground is uneven, stony in places. In summer, sun protection is essential; shade is rare.
• Combine with Split – both are within 15 minutes of each other.

Getting there

• By car: about 20 minutes from Poljica via the A1 autobahn or coastal road D8 toward Split.
• By bus: regional buses stop in Poljica and pass through Solin en route to Split. See ak-split.hr.

Split-Dalmatia Tourist Board Prilaz braće Kaliterna 10/I, 21000 Split Tel: +385 (0)21 490 032