Hotel Vestibul Palace
Split
Staying in an ancient Roman palace
Hotel Vestibul Palace is a small luxury boutique hotel located next to Emperor Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia. It is also close to the ferry terminal, about a 10 minute walk away. As well as Diocletian's Palace, Riva Street, lined with cafes and restaurants with white awnings, is just outside the hotel, and the traditional market that opens every morning is also close by.
The hotel is small, with only seven rooms, as the buildings are built close together on the site of an ancient palace. However, it is a special family-run boutique hotel that has not overlooked even the smallest detail. In particular, the rough stone walls of the old palace are exposed on one side of the room, which gives a special feeling of being in a part of Split.
I also remember the kindness of the staff who invited us, early arrivals from the ferry in the morning, to join them for breakfast. The lobby, where breakfast is served, is a beautiful space with sunlight filtering in through the glass ceiling.
Split is a port city. Its origins lie in a fortress-like palace that the Roman emperor Diocletian built in his hometown after his retirement. The palace and its walls collapsed here and there during the Middle Ages. However, as people built houses with stone pillars and stones to reinforce the palace walls, it is now difficult to distinguish between the old palace and the private houses.
The Vestibul Palace Hotel is one of these buildings, and the hotel building itself is the wall of the palace next to the imperial bedroom and the colonnade called the Peristil. It is as if you are staying in an ancient Roman palace in the very heart of the old town of Split.
The name of the hotel, Vestibul, refers to the entrance to the vestibule of the palace, and the domed building with a hole in the ceiling right next to the hotel is the Vestibul. FYI, a cappella group sings in this vestibule from morning till night. You can even be gently awakened in the morning by these beautiful songs in the domed building with its great acoustics.
Outdoor market
Every morning there is a market on the other side of the Silver Gate. It is called pazar, an open-air traditional market where flowers, vegetables and fruit are sold in rows. The peppers, onions, cabbage and potatoes will catch your eye, and the cherries are piled high. They're not very expensive, so grab a bag!
And if you go to the other side of the palace, you'll find the Pescareria (fish market), which opens every morning and sells fresh fish from the Adriatic sea.
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