Day 11: Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic

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By Christi

This day has finally arrived: our long awaited visit to Dubrovnik! And what an amazing day it was.

Dubrovnik's history started in the 7th century, when residents were attacked by Slavs and fled to this rocky islet. Walls were built and fortified over the centuries, and withstood numerous attacks and sieges by several enemies. Due to its fantastic geographical location, great seamanship, clever trading skills and canny diplomacy which maintained good relationships with all other nations, the Republic of Dubrovnik flourished. Unfortunately it didn't always go so well: the city was hit by a massive earthquake in 1667, and many buildings were destroyed; Napoleon seized the city in 1808 and declared the end of the republic; and shelling during the homeland war in 1991 caused considerable damage. Now, everything has been rebuilt, repaired and renovated, and Dubrovnic shines again as the Pearl of the Adriatic.

We arrived around lunch time, after a morning of cruising, swimming, reading and relaxing. We did the math and decided it would be worthwhile to get the 1-day Dubrovnik card, which provides entrance to the city walls, a number of museums and free public transport. We caught the bus for the 3km trip from the harbour to the old town, and felt ready to explore! Walking in through Pile gate, we saw the ancient Onofrio fountain, where dozens of tourists were resting on the steps, looking for shade and eating ice cream. We were at the western end of Stradun, the main street, and we followed it down to the bell tower at the other end. There we also saw Orlando's column, a stone carving of a medieval knight whose forearm of 51.1cm was used as the standard length in old times - the Dubrovnik ell. It was still very hot outside, so we decided to visit some museums and churches first.

We found our way to the Maritime museum, where the airconditioning provided some welcome relief. The sea trade has played such a crucial part in Dubrovnik's history that this is one of their most important museums. It depicts the development of boats from sail to steam, illustrates the commonly used trading routes (stretching as far as Jerusalem, Ephesus, Alexandria and Spain), and shows some ancient amphoras, bowls, knives and other items that were salvaged from medieval shipwrecks along the coast and islands.

After the museum we went looking for ice cream, which we enjoyed on the steps of the cathedral while watching waiters preparing their tables for the evening's guests, and then started up the famous old city walls.

The total wall walk around the city is only just more than 2km, but we spent nearly two hours up there, collecting memories and taking pictures, and just being in awe of the views over the city and the sea. It is easy to spot the difference between the old, weather worn roof tiles which had survived the onslaughts over the centuries, and the new bright orange terracotta tiles that were used to repair damages of the 1991 bombings. We also saw many many cats down in the city, and only a few garden spots - the old town area is almost entirely built up. It had cooled down a bit by the time we were up on the wall, making for a pleasant walk and some beautiful views as the sun started going down.

After finishing the wall walk, we decided to go for drinks at a little bar on the rocks between the wall and the sea - an amazing setting, and the drinks were priced to match!! We popped into the cathedral and the Jesuit church on the way out, and took the bus back to the harbour area to look for more affordable options for supper. A day to remember - one for the bucket list, for sure!

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