Dubrovnik (Croatia)

...is 37 meters high, above Dubrovnik Old Town. The fortress made in 14th century, though there are indicators it was made in 11th century, a true protector from invader attacks for centuries. The same statement was at the Libertas flag flown on ships from Dubrovnik on Argosy ships, a merchant ships also mentioned by Shakespeare. This is the politics of Dubrovnik ever since, even for today. Dubrovnik never was and never is a town and place that will ...
...the City of Dubrovnik always remains the same. While entire Balkan Area went through wars and always has been invaded by different invaders, Dubrovnik paid a lots of money to stay neutral and free. That is something that I called "a rational awareness", missed and misunderstood among many cultures for centuries.

Numerous legends and stories on peculiar manners were told about the ancient beginnings of Dubrovnik and the most ... more

The legacy
"Freedom is not to be sold even for all the gold in the world", states the sign at the entrance of Lovrijenac, the monumental, self-supported fortress, raised upon a rock that is 37 meters high, above Dubrovnik Old Town. The fortress made in 14th century, though there are indicators it was made in 11th century, a true protector from invader attacks for centuries. The same statement was at the Libertas flag flown on ships from Dubrovnik on Argosy ships, a merchant ships also mentioned by Shakespeare. This is the politics of Dubrovnik ever since, even for today. Dubrovnik never was and never is a town and place that will trade freedom for gold. Invaded by many invaders through centuries the City of Dubrovnik always remains the same. While entire Balkan Area went through wars and always has been invaded by different invaders, Dubrovnik paid a lots of money to stay neutral and free. That is something that I called "a rational awareness", missed and misunderstood among many cultures for centuries.

Numerous legends and stories on peculiar manners were told about the ancient beginnings of Dubrovnik and the most complete one is the one that links the making of the city with the Laus Peninsula, a hard cliff that was began to be inhabited by refugees from Eidaurum in the 7th century A.D. The site at the foundations of which emerged in mediavle Cavtat, 16 kilometers East of Dubrovnik was a Greek-Roman colony in the 7th century. During the attack of the Slavs and the Mongolian Avars the frightened residents of Epidaurum, that had been completely devastated by the invaders' attacks, escaped towards Laus where they began to make a new settlement on forest landscape and the surrounding inaccessible sharp rocks.

There are only a few places on this planet where a man feels like he has stepped into a completely different world. Old Town of Dubrovnik is a charming stone city that whiteness by 412 meter high Srdj hill on the North and by the crystal clear sea with scattered little islands all over on the South. Time stand still and speak to itself. The city itself is compared with Saint Tropez from the 60s and is the center of number of historical events, a temple of different cultural events and than again a charming town with "urban pulp" that still pulsates on the very own and characteristic rhythm. A magic crossroad of the ancient and the contemporary urban and rural ways of life. Dubrovnik now has over 50 000 residents which is tripled during the season, by large number of tourists who are coming to visit the place. This town actually has always been a safe harbor and place at which numerous sea fearers and land travelers sought their refuge and salvation. Dubrovnik is the place with ideal Mediterranean climate, with more than 250 sunny days during a year. Winters are sunny and dry and summers are warm and welcomed.

The Dubrovnik Population
The residents of Dubrovnik today are different ethnic groups, Croats as Catholic, Serbs as Orthodox Christian and Moslem from Herzegovina and Croatia. The language is Croatian as it is basically nowadays situated in Croatia. Dubrovnik before latest civil war was most admired and visited ex Yugoslavian town ever. Dubrovnik population was most proud population in entire ex Yugoslavia. No place ever had and will have this spirit, once maybe seen only in Bosnian Sarajevo before civil war took place in 90s. Here, everyone speak English, because the city is regularly visit by millions of tourists from all over the world every day. The habitants also speak Italian and their language is tangled by Italian linguistic influence. So if you here to be called out on the street on Italian, do turn around, because native people do speak to you. And they truly love you and they are very proud on their Dubrovnik. This place is most romantic place in the world.

Festival Town
Beside Dubrovnik's exceptional stone beauty, fascinating locations in Dubrovnik are often used as open air stages for a number of cultural manifestations. Most popular one is Dubrovnik Summer Festival, an international cultural manifestation with music, scenic and dance manifestations. In addition, Dubrovnik offers carnival festivities and The International Alternative Theatre Festival. As usual, I was there for the festival. This time it was International Film Festival, at the end of May, most prettiest time to visit Dubrovnik, not too hot and not too crowdy, so you can stroll through the city freely, without being stopped by too many tourists. Dubrovnik is a very important stop for world jet-set celebrities as well as for all other tourists. All big yachts and ships are making stop here. Seeing celebrity on the street is not a news or unusual. Actually, it might be the golden opportunity for an ordinary man to shop on the same place as a big star or celebrity that is usually unreachable in New York or London. Dubrovnik International Film Festival DIFF (go to www.dubrovnikfilmfestival.com)
hosted big stars, so I had this chance to casually chat big budget film producers about the weather. To get stuck in elevator with British film director Peter Medak (but without the Kray twin brothers) and talk about his sinus problems in the middle of summer. To casually chat with John Hurt about his first film "The Elephant man" from 60s and clever screenwriting. Or to talk to Christopher Walken about his latest Toni Scott film and dance act in Fat Boy Slim's video. Or with Emily Watson about most memorable work with big Robert Altman. There are many celebrities passing by in their luxurious yachts here. They all stopping by to shop in the very same shops where you can find a nice cheap or expensive piece of clothing or a postcard for yourself.
Chris Walken:
" Dubrovnik's very beautiful. And I said to John Hurt I was walking home last night with him, you know: Orson Wells will make a fabulous movie here. Last night we were walking and you could almost feel it, like you are in one of Orson Wells' movie. I mean he already made "Othello" here, but you could do very good "Othello" here. Sure."

Accommodation
Dubrovnik is not cheap but there are places where you can find cheaper accommodation and food. There are non stop flights to Dubrovnik, from all big centers in Europe and the world. This is the unique place where you can stay in luxurious hotel and pay lots of money for it, or you can go backpacking as student, and pay very cheap price for accommodation. As backpacker, you can pay 12-15 Euros per night for bed in The Youth Hostel. To book youth hostel you need to go to Internet and book your bed a month before you come, because youth hostels are absolutely packed with backpackers from mainly Australia and UK. You can go to www.hostels.com where you can book the bed or to write to a very nice young man called Srdjan. This is the specialized tourist organization DUBROVNIK SERVIS travel agency, for youth hostels, www.dubrovnikservice.com
There are two type of youth hostels in Dubrovnik. A classic youth hostel with mix and separate fem and male dorm room and very cheap local kitchen and youth hostels located in the luxurious houses with clean smaller flats and two separated rooms with 3 or 4 beds. Each room has television and two rooms are using one bathroom and a small kitchen. Guests are taken and waited on the airport upon the arrival and departure.

Food and drink
Beside a beautiful places to see and visit around the old town, entering the museums and inside of fortress or churches are pretty expensive, around 4 or 5 euros, it all depends. Restaurants and numerous pizza places are also pretty expensive and it coast around 15 Euros per simple meal. The price is up if you go for sea cousin and traditional Dalmatian meals. Wines are of course, most expensive. But there is no place on Earth where you can taste better red wine from Dalmatian. The Old Town has one self take away service restaurant where backpackers can eat for that little as 5 euros a fresh hot home made meal. There are also supermarkets for first aid all over. Drinks are also expensive, if you are passing by Stradun during the day. But there's an Irish Pub in The Old Town, visited by mainly Irish, Brits and Australians that offers draft lager beer for 5 Euros and less. And its always full of guests from Australia, Ireland and UK.

Buses and rides
The buss stations are located outside of the Old Town, just outside of each, where you can take number 8 to take you anywhere around the town, and back to the Old Town and it coasts about 2 Euros per ticket. There are only two beaches that belong to Dubrovnik Town. The first one is the main beach and it belongs to a hotel resort and sun-bed per day coasts 9,5 Euros, which is pretty costly and unavoidable, because there is no shade on the beach, during the day. The other one is on the other side, nearby the other entrance of The Old Town, by the Fortress Lovrjenac. This is a very small but beautiful beach, used by mainly locals and the entrance here is free. The Old Town has three enters. One is very steer steps and therefore hardly used. The other two are more available for walking, called Pila and Ploce. The entire Dubrovnik is built up to the hill, so if you are having an apartment or private room up to the hill, you can loose a lots of extras by climbing up and down to the steer steps every day. Not to mention, if you are intoxicated...cause that way, stepping once lasts double of time than usual:)

Sports
There are numerous sports available for tourist in Dubrovnik. All you have to do is contact any travel agency and rent a day of the particular sport. The Adventure Travel Directory offers Islands Sea Kayaking. This is kayaking on the islands near Dubrovnik, where you can discover amazing blue caves, high cliffs, colorful reefs, sandy beaches. Places and expeditions available only by kayaking. Also bicycling, swimming or snorkeling just the same. Yu can also book 7 days small yacht cruising, that was by the National Geographic Adventure Magazine, "The Best of Adventure 2005" If you visit www.huck-finn.hr you can see what does the tourist service offer.


The Old Town - Place to visit
The most beautiful place on the Adriatic Coast is, most likely Dubrovnik Old Town. There are other charming little medieval places around Dubrovnik worth to be seen. But yet, here is the short guide of The Dubrovnik Old Town:

Stradun,
Or Placa as it is also known is the biggest and the most famous street in Dubrovnik. It stretches from the Pila Gate to Luža Square. Before the big earthquake in 1667 Stradun was dominated by the luxuriously furnished facade of the local palaces. After the earthquake, the city authorities focused on the reconstruction of the city fortifications and public buildings so that great extravagance was not encouraged. Because of that, the present facades facing Stradun look simple and very similar to one another. Stradun is rather wide street because once there was a channel here that separated the two parts of the settlement in the 10th and the 11th century. Stradun was created by building earthworks over the channel. A walk through Stradun is an unavoidable part of sightseeing in Dubrovnik.

Lazaret
Dubrovnik's Lazaret was built in the 17th century. The older buildings that had a same purpose were built by the Republic of Dubrovnik on nearby islands, but they have been mainly destroyed. Dubrovnik's Lazaret is located outside the city walls, in the part of the town called Ploce. Its basic function was to maintain public health in the city of Dubrovnik in order to prevent the spread of plague in the city. Dubrovnik paid a special attention to its public health measures because of its intensive trade relations with the East and all of the Mediterranean. Lazaret complex is divided in two main parts, ground floor with 5 storage areas and an upper floor with separate rooms. The building retained its original purpose until the end of 19th century. Along the Lazareti lies the most popular city beach aptly called Banje (bath). Here one can enjoy in the blue sea and the sun, and nearby there is tempting shade of the old tress.

The Fortress of Bokar
The Fortress of Bokar was built in 1461 AD, based on the plans of the Florentine architect Michelozzio. Its main purpose was to protect the entrance to the city through the Pila Gate and the land approaches to the city. It has a cylindrical shape, and since it was party built on the sea reefs, beneath the fortress there are channels through which the sea comes through. In the interior of the fort lies the armory and the gunpowder storage area. During the late 16th century the fortress Bokar was extensively remodeled. Lately the area of the fort has been used for cultural performances held during the Dubrovnik summer festival.

St.Vlaho Cathedral
In the place of the present cathedral archeological findings have established the existence of the foundations of at least two older churches. The oldest is the Byzantine church from the 7th century AD, and it is believed that the Romanesque church from the 12th century was built by Richard the Lionhearted who was rescued near Lokrum after he was shipwrecked. This church was completely destroyed in the earthquake that struck the city in 1667. The present day cathedral was built in 1713 in Roman Baroque style with a large central dome. A stone staircase leads to the main portal with four Corinthian pillars. The interior of the cathedral has six marble altar and a baptistery. The cathedral treasury has a number of valuable objects of religious art including the works of artists such as Titian. Of particular significance are the relics of St. Vlaho, decorated with jewels.

The Church of St. Ignacije
Although the first member of the Jesuit order came to Dubrovnik in 1559, the construction of the church of St. Ignacije with the adjoining Jesuit school Collegium Ragusium was finished in 1725. The lack of funds and a catastrophic earthquake that hit the city in 1667 are the main reasons the construction took such a long time. During the French occupation the whole complex was turned into a hospital. Over a hundred years have passed since it was returned to the church.
The whole complex is located on the south side of Gundulic Square, with a monumental Baroque staircase leading to the top. The project was the work of the famous Jesuit architect of the period, Ignazio Pozzo. The interior of the church is decorated with the frescoes describing the life of St Ignacije, created by Gaetano Garcija.

The Church of St. Vlaho
St. Vlaho has been revered in Dubrovnik as the patron saint of the city for quite some time. Through the centuries he presented an inspiration to the large number of artists who painted and sculptured his image. In his honor a church of St. Vlaho was built. The present day church was constructed by Venetian architect Marino Gropelli in 1715 on the commission by the city authorities. The church was built on the place of an old Romanesque church that was significantly damaged in the Great earthquake of 1667 and a fire that struck it close to a decade later. The new church was built in Baroque style. A large staircase leads to the ornamented main portal and a large dome decorates the roof of the church. The interior of the church is furnished in great detail, a the marble altars are particularly impressive. On the main altar there is statue of St. Vlaho in gold-plated silver from the 15th century that holds in his hand a model of the town as it looked before the earthquake. It is interesting to notice that the statue was undamaged in the great earthquake that destroyed the old church.

The Dominican Monastery
One of the largest attractions of the city of Dubrovnik are definitely its medieval city walls that stretch almost 2,000 meters. The part of the walls towards the mainland are 4-6 meters thick, and towards the sea 1-3 meters. Through the centuries of its turbulent history, very little war was actually waged in Dubrovnik and the cannons from its forts stayed mostly silent. But, with the protection of strong forts and walls, freedom was more easily secured though a tribute in gold, paid to the great powers in those days. The walls' construction began in the 11th century and all the way through the 17th century the walls were rebuilt and expanded. The city walls protect the area of the old city port that was of great importance for the maritime Dubrovnik. The city walls areone of the symbols of its freedom and one of the largest and best preserved fortification systems in Europe.
Dominican monks founded a monastery in Dubrovnik in 1225 AD. The construction of the church took somewhat longer so that it was finished in 1306. In those days, the Dominicans took care not only of the city's spiritual well-being but also its safety on this world as well. The monastery complex was built in the eastern part of the city along the city walls in order to strengthen the city fortification in that area. Although it stretches on a relatively small space, the monastery complex includes the church and a large courtyard with a well. The Dominican monastery combines several architectural styles from Romanesque to Baroque and it represents a spectacular achievement of the Dubrovnik's architecture from that period. Inside the monastery there is a collection of priceless cultural and art treasure from the 15th and the 16th century.

Franciscan Monastery of Minorities
In the beginning of Stradun, near the entrance to the city through the Pila Gate, lies the Franciscan monastery of Minorities (Minorita). On its northern side the monastery stretches all the way to fort Minceta and the city walls. Saint Francis founded the Franciscans in 1209 AD and it is believed that they came to Dubrovnik during his lifetime. Their first monastery was built in the 13th century outside the city walls, but because of the danger of invasion in 1317 they began the construction of a new monastery inside the city walls. The monastery church was considered to be one of the most beautiful in Dubrovnik, but it was almost completely destroyed in a large fire that followed the earthquake of 1667. The monastery complex was fully reconstructed after the earthquake, only the south portal remained. Within the monastery since 1317 there is a pharmacy, the third oldest in the world. The monastery library houses thousands of priceless manuscripts and books, from pharmaceutical manuals to old editions of the works by famous Croatian authors.

The Lovrijenac Fortress
The Lovrijenac fortress is also known as "Dubrovnik's Gibraltar" and it is believed that it was first constructed in the 11th century. According to legend, the people of Dubrovnik built a fort here in the record time of just 3 months in order to forestall the Venetians who planned to build a fortress on the same spot from which they could control the city. The present day for was built in 14th century and it was constantly reconstructed. It has a triangular shape with three terraces. Lovrijenac rises on the reef 32 meters high and it is interesting to notice that the thickness of walls facing the outside dangers is reaches 12 meters. At the same time the part of the walls facing the city is only 60 cm thick. In that way the people of Dubrovnik wanted to insure that the commander of the fort wouldn't be tempted to turn his guns towards the city and establish dictatorship. Two drawbridges lead to the fort and above the gate there is an inscription "NON BENE PRO TOTO LIBERTAS VENDITUR AURO" - Freedom is not to be sold for all the treasures in the world. Lovrijenac dominates the western land and sea approaches to the city and it played an important role in the defense of the city. Lately Lovrijenac has proven to be perfectly suitable as a cultural stage, particular for the performances of Shakespeare's "Hamlet", whose performance of Lovrijenac became sort of a trademark of Dubrovnik summer festival.

The Fortress of Minceta
The monumental fortress of Minceta is located on the northwestern part of the city. It was named so because it was constructed on the estate of family Mencetic from Dubrovnik. The fortress was built in 1464 in the place of a smaller fort from 1319. After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453 the people of Dubrovnik decided to strengthen the city fortifications and the invited one of the most famous architects of the period, Michelozzo from Florence. One of the most famous Croatian Renaissance architects Juraj Dalmatinac also took part in the construction of the fortress Minceta. From the top of the fortress there is a spectacular view of Dubrovnik and its surroundings.

Onofrio's Fountain
The famous Italian architect from Naples, Onofrio della Cava built a fountain in 1438 which is today known as the large Onofrio's fountain. The fountain is located in the center of a small square near the Franciscan monastery and the Pila Gate. In those days most of the cities in Dalmatia handled the problem of water supply by building rainwater tanks, but the people of Dubrovnik wanted fresh spring water in their city. Onofrio built an aqueduct that supplied water to the city from the spring in the mainland, 12 km distant. The larger Onofrio's fountain is circular in shape and at the same time it can serve as a water tank. The water flows from figures of 16 masked faces - "maskeroni". Small Onofrio's fountain is located on the opposite end of Stradun and it supplied water to the marketplace on Luža square.

Orlando's Column
In between the Sponza palace and the church of St. Vlaho is located Orlando's column. This tall stone column with a flagpole is decorated with a sculpture of the legendary Medieval knight Orland (Roland). Although there are some legends about how the legendary knight saved the city from the pirate attack, it is more likely that the statue was raised to honor the German emperor Sigmund who protected the city from Venetian aspirations in the 15th century. In those days, Orlando's columns were built in central European cities. Orlando's column in Dubrovnik was built by sculptor Bonino from Milan in 1418 AD. Since it was built until the time Napoleon abolished the Republic, a flag of the Republic with an image of St. Vlaho had flown from flagpole. The column was knocked down by strong wind in 1825 so that it laid in storage for about 50 years. It is interesting to notice that the length of the statue's right elbow served as the official measure of length of cloth ("Dubrovacki lakat" - 51,2 cm). In modern times a flag is flown from the Orlando's column during the two traditional events held in Dubrovnik, the fiesta of St. Vlaho and Dubrovnik summer festival.

The Pila Gate
The Pila Gate was built in 1537 AD and is the main entrance to the city from the west. A stone bridge and a wooden drawbridge leads to the gate. .The Pila Gate consist of both an outer and inner section. During the city's turbulent history, the drawbridge was raised and the gate was locked every night .
Over the main entrance there is a large statue of St. Vlaho, patron saint of Dubrovnik. Below this statue there are 3 stone heads that represent a bearded man and two women, and whose meaning has not been definitely established. Several legends mention the stories of unhappy love affairs and seductions.

Porporela
In the base of the stout walls of the fortress of St. Ivan lies a pier that protects the old city port. The people of Dubrovnik call this part of the city Porporela and it represents a perfect spot for all those seeking a momentary refuge from the city crowds, and who wish to enjoy in the view of the sea and the nearby island of Lokrum. Porporela is also famous as a lovers' corner and because of that it is frequently mentioned in the songs of the troubadours from Dubrovnik.

The Rector's Palace
The Rector's Palace is located near the church of St. Vlaho and during the Republic of Dubrovnik it served as the center of its government. This is where the Dubrovnik Rector lived during his one-month rule. Within the Rector's palace there was a chamber of the small council, a chamber for official receptions, powder storage and an armory and city prison. The building was constructed during the 14th century in Gothic - Renaissance style in the place of an old fort from the 12th century. It gained its present appearance during the 15th century when the appearance of the inner courtyard was defined. In the courtyard there is a statue of Miho Pracat, famous Dubrovnik ship-owner who left all his riches to the Republic. Monumental exterior facade is decorated with arched atrium on whose arches many interesting details and figures was carved by the local and foreign builders who worked on the palace. Although often reconstructed and damaged in different disasters, the Rector's Palace is a very special architectural achievement. Because of its excellent acoustic qualities, the courtyard of the Rector's Palace is the popular concert stage especially during the Dubrovnik summer festival.

The Fortress of Revelin
The Fortress of Revelin is located on the eastern side of the city along the Ploce gate. The name is derived from the word "rivelino" which in the fortification architecture means "built along the city gate." The older fort in this spot was built in 1462 as a separate fort that secured the eastern approaches to the city from the land. In the 16th century, Dubrovnik came under increasing threat from Venice so that a need arose for the strengthening of the old fort. The new fortress was designed by Antonio Ferramolina and was shaped as an irregular rectangle surrounded with a deep moat. The interior of the fortress is made out of three parts with a large terrace on the top. The fortress was built in short time because all the private and public construction in the city was diverted to assist with the construction of the fortress. The skill of its builder is reflected in the fact that Revelin wasn't harmed in the great earthquake that struck the city in 1667. On the top of the fort during the Dubrovnik summer festival many plays are and festivals are held.

The Sponza Palace
The Sponza Palace was an extremely important public building during the Republic of Dubrovnik. A customs house, state mint, bank and state treasury were located here together with a number of government offices important to Republic's commerce. The palace is located on Luža square and it was built by a local builder Paskoje Milicevic in 1520. It was built in Gothic Renaissance style, popular in those days. Aside from its importance for the economic prosperity of the city, the Sponza palace was also important for its cultural prosperity. During the 16th century a group of poets founded an Academy of the Unanimous, the first cultural institution in the city. The fact that Sponza palace was only slightly damaged in the earthquake of 1667 greatly helped in its reconstruction. Today, the palace is still of great importance. It houses Dubrovnik's archives where a large number of documents and manuscripts from as early as 11th century s being protected.

Fortress of St. Ivan
On the eastern part of the city stands the monumental fortress of St. Ivan. Its present form was gained in 16th century and its basic function was the protection of the city port and the sea approaches to Dubrovnik. A much older fort from the 14th century existed on the same spot. The fort was reconstructed by the famous Dubrovnik builder Paskoje Milicevic. Towards the sea, the fortress has smooth and slightly curved walls, while the part of the walls facing the port is smooth and vertical. Today the fortress houses the Maritime Museum that features a number of exhibits from Dubrovnik's rich maritime history. In the lower part of the fort there is an aquarium with a rich collection of fish, shells, crabs and corals.

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