Hotels near The Riva

The Riva (officially Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda, "Quay of the Croatian National Revival") is the 250-metre marble-paved promenade that fronts the harbour along the southern wall of Diocletian's Palace. It is the most reliable of things to do in Split when you have an evening to fill: pedestrian-only, lined with palm trees, set with white cafe tables, and pointed at a wall of Adriatic ferries waiting to leave for Hvar, Brac, Vis, and beyond.

The current pavement dates from a 2007 redesign by architects 3LHD, who replaced the old asphalt with creamy stone slabs and pure white sun-shade canopies. By day it is the city's open-air living room; by sunset it fills with locals doing the slow evening walk (the spanja), and by night it lines up with bars and ice-cream stalls. The Bronze Gate of Diocletian's Palace is set directly into the back wall, so you can step off the Riva and straight into the Roman Substructures.

Pro Tip: Skip the front-row Riva cafes where a coffee costs 4 to 5 EUR and head one block back to Bajamontijeva or Dosud streets. The coffee is half the price, the locals outnumber the tourists, and you can still see the masts of the ferries between the buildings.