Our Story

In the heart of Split, the charming and the most beautiful city in the world, there is Merla, an authentic Dalmatian house with four luxury rooms. It is located in Slaviceva Street, five minutes walk from the city centre.

Merla, which means lace in Dalmatia, is a delicate fabric made of threads in different patterns. Its production dates back in the Renaissance, in the Mediterranean and Western Europe.

The girls in Split have always been decorating themselves with lace. And the houses were decorated with different types of merla too. Hence, the name for this Dalmatian house is inspired by that tradition.

The design of the house is inspired by ancient construction styles combined with modern and artistic solutions, which make Merla a unique place to stay.

One of the rooms is called Agava. In the town of Hvar, since the 19th century, lace has been made of agave threads in the Benedictine monastery. The process of preparing threads is long and hard. Thin white threads are pulled from the fresh agave leaf. It is customary that threads are not produced during „bura“ (cold wind from the north) because cold air makes them fragile. They are woven into different patterns, and Hvar lace is inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Herritage List.

The second room is called Dalmatian Reticels.

Beatiful spacious room inspired by corals of the Adriatic Sea.

„Retičela“ literally means a small net. It is a sewn lace that has squared space which is carved into the canvas, inside which there is a spider web that the lace is made of.

The third room is called „Muštra“, which means a fabric pattern.

Charming room on the second floor where you can relax and enjoy.

The Muštra is a fabric pattern or lace design. Particularly interesting is the metaphorical meaning of the word. Muštra is the name for a person who is inclined to pull out of dutifulness and resourcefulness to reach their destination.

„Dota“is in the attic. 

In the attic there is a special room with a beautiful terrace.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy sensational panoramic view on the rooftops of Split.

Dota means dowry. In Dalmatia, as soon as your female child graduates from school, merchandise for marble-decorated marriages begins.