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The area within the walls, roughly
1/2km square, is all narrow streets accessible only on foot. There are only two
gates, the Pile Gate in the west and the Ploce Gate at the east end. A recently
built entrance through the north wall provides access to the parking lot, taxi
stand and bus stop, see the city
plan. The only wider
street, Stradun (also called Placa,) which connects the Pile Gate
with the Port and the Sponza Palace, was built after the earthquake of 1667,
which leveled most of the palaces in the center of town. Paved with marble slabs
and lined with cafés and shops it is the main promenade where you meet
everyone. The Franciscan Monastery, close to the Pile Gate, contains an
impressive library of ancient manuscripts. It is also the site of the Pharmacy,
one of the earliest in Europe. Here the monks prepared medicines for the use of
sick inhabitants as early as the 14th. century. At the opposite end, the
graceful 16th century Sponza Palace was the cultural and commercial center of
the Republic.
At the east end of Stradum there is a square dominated by the Rector's Palace,
the Arsenal and the Cathedral. The Rector's Palace was the residence of the
Rector, when he was in office and also the assembly of the Council, the
government of the Republic. The Arsenal, now a coffee house, was the
headquarters of the ship-building industry. The Baroque Cathedral stands on the
site of the earlier 11th century Romanesque cathedral destroyed in the
earthquake 0f 1667. The present Cathedral suffered some damage in the earthquake
of 1979. During repairs the foundations and some frescoes were uncovered from an
earlier Byzantine cathedral built
in the 6th century. The
ancient port was defended by two fortresses, Fort Revelin at the north and St.
John (Sv. Ivan) at the south. At its north-west corner,the large square
building of the 13th century Dominican Monastery backs up to the city walls.
Within its complex of churches and chapels you may see the tombs of many
Dubrovnik notables. If you exit through the Ploce Gate you come to another
remarkable complex of eight buildings and five courtyards.- the Lazareti.
Here, foreign traders were quarantined to protect the health of the Republic's
citizens. Here also most transactions were carried out, Part of the buildings
served as warehouses for produce.
Modern Dubrovnik, with its many
hotels and restaurants stretches along the coast in either direction from the
Old City. The Dinaric Alps loom above the city. The gorgeous coast line is
mostly rocky, although some small sandy beaches are to be found in coves. The Dubrovnik
Riviera consists of a number of small villages along the coast as well as
several islands - Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan reached by ferry from the dock at
Gruz.The closest island, Lokrum, is only ten minutes by ferry from the old port
and is a nature reserve. A magnificent Botanic Garden displays tropical and
sub-tropical plants that have been assembled over hundreds of years, since it
was started by the Benedictine Brothers that had a monastery on the island in
the 12th. century.
How to Get
There. Fly from Zagreb, Croatia's capital, by Croatia
Airlines, or take a direct bus
(11 hours). There are also direct flights from several West European hubs.
You can also get to Dubrovnik by ferry from Anscona, Italy or from Rijeka and
Split, Croatia's ports on the Adriatic, See links
to company schedules.
For more detailed information,
see the Croatia
Travel Planner pages.
Credits: Photos from linked Web Sites of the Dubrovnik
Tourist Board and SEE
Travel Net.
Zadar
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Osor I Pag I DubrovnikI
Novigrad - Dalmatia I Novigrad
- Istria
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The
city walls, built between the 14th and 16th centuries, stretch
for 2km.all around the city, except for a small break by the
ancient port. Several larger forts occupy strategic points along
the walls, the largest of them the Minceta Fort at its most
northern corner. From its ramparts you may enjoy a magnificent
view of the city. It takes a little more than an hour to walk
along the top of walls, all around the city, enjoying different
views at various vantage points.