Hotels near the Bijaći
Bijaći is an early medieval archaeological site on the western edge of the Kaštela plain, between Split and Trogir.
Why stay near Bijaći
Bijaći is an early medieval archaeological site on the western edge of the Kaštela plain, between Split and Trogir. People come here for one specific reason: in 852, Duke Trpimir issued his charter at Bijaći, the earliest preserved document that mentions the Croatian name. Today there’s no museum building or ticket desk. You walk through the remains of the Church of St. Martha (Sv. Marta) and surrounding archaeological layers in a quiet, rural setting. It feels closer to a historical waypoint than a headline attraction, but for anyone curious about how the Croatian state first appears in written history, this small site carries weight far beyond its size.
About Bijaći
Archaeological research shows that Bijaći was used continuously from Roman times, starting in the 1st century, when the area formed part of a villa rustica connected to the nearby Roman colony of Salona. Layers from this agricultural estate sit beneath later medieval remains. The site enters written history in 852, when it is recorded as Byaci in the Charter of Duke Trpimir, issued from the ruler’s court at Bijaći. Historians often describe this document as the birth certificate of Croatian statehood, because it is the first domestic source to name the Croats. What you see today includes the foundations of an early Christian church later adapted in the early Croatian period, stone fragments scattered around the site, and parts of a 9th‑century ciborium. Interpretive panels explain how Roman, early Christian, and early medieval layers overlap, helping you connect the physical remains to the historical moment that made Bijaći significant.
