We can't claim to be the first to recommend the Dalmatian Coast as a retirement destination. That distinction goes to the Diocletian (AD 245-316), the only Roman emperor ever to retire. He chose to spend his golden years in his palace in Split, where he remained until his death in 316.

In 1979, the Diocletian Palace was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it remains at the heart of Croatia's second-largest city. You can walk from the Riva, the palm-lined promenade overlooking the harbor, into the palace complex itself, which sprawls over seven acres.Diocletian took quality of life and retirement seriously. He spared no expense, building his palace using the white stone from the nearby island of Brac and importing marble from Italy and Greece for the squares and columns. He even imported a sphinx from Egypt.

If you'd like to live overlooking Split's 1,700-year-old monuments, at the time of print, Croatian Sun was offering a 970-square-foot apartment for $258,000. It's at one of the four entrances to Diocletian's Palace, the Golden Gate.

In the modern part of Split, you'll find plenty of apartments (generally with clean title) for low prices, but we doubt they'd appeal to you. This is one of the few parts of the country that would probably make you think of communism. If you're interested in Split, look primarily in the old town. Here you'll find affordable properties in old (though not ancient) buildings, along pleasant streets, and just a short distance from the sea and the palace.