Diocletian’s Palace

Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia, is one of the best-preserved Roman palace complexes in the world and forms the historic heart of the city. Built for the Roman emperor Diocletian around the turn of the 4th century, the palace was not only an imperial residence but also a fortified complex with gates, courtyards, temples, cellars and military-style structures. Over the centuries, Split grew inside and around the old Roman walls, turning the palace into a living part of the city rather than a closed archaeological monument. Its narrow stone streets, underground cellars, Peristyle square and monumental gates make it one of Croatia’s most atmospheric screen locations.

Diocletian’s Palace has been used in several productions, most famously “Game of Thrones” (2011–2019) and the Netflix thriller “The Weekend Away” (2022). It has also appeared in travel and establishing material for other productions using Split as a dramatic Croatian backdrop. For film and television, the palace is especially useful because it can be shown as both a real historic city centre and as something more ancient, mysterious or otherworldly. The cellars and stone passages are particularly recognisable on screen.

In “Game of Thrones” (2011–2019), Diocletian’s Palace is used for scenes set in Meereen. The palace cellars are especially famous as the underground chambers where Daenerys Targaryen keeps her dragons, while other parts of the palace complex and the surrounding streets are used for Meereen’s corridors, alleys and power struggles. The ancient stone interiors fit the series’ image of an old slave city, giving the Meereen scenes a heavy, enclosed and historical atmosphere. Even though the series also used other Croatian locations for Meereen, including Klis Fortress, the cellars of Diocletian’s Palace remain among the most recognisable Split locations connected to the show.

In “The Weekend Away” (2022), Diocletian’s Palace is used as part of the film’s Split setting. Beth and Kate’s trip places them in the middle of the city’s historic centre, and the palace area gives the thriller a strong sense of location before the story turns darker. The film uses recognisable parts of Split including Peristil, the Cellars of Diocletian’s Palace, the Riva and nearby old-town streets. Later in the film, the palace area is also used during Beth and Zain’s attempt to move through the city, with the ancient streets and stone architecture adding tension to the chase-like movement through Split.

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