It’s feels like any second a damsel in distress might appear behind the ramparts. With stairs in abundance between the city walls opening to the narrow streets, the stone houses with green shutters, the deep blue sea that meets the eye with just a slight move of the head, and the breeze from the Adriatic washing your face, Dubrovnik is a one of a kind city behind a fortress, and it’s cute as button, small but jolly.
In the past it was obligatory to stay for two weeks in the lazaretto, just near the pier before entering the city. It was an insane procedure for protection against the travelers’ diseases. As though we were taking revenge on behalf of the travelers from days gone by, we entered the city at a snail’s pace.
Dubrovnik is composed of four districts and a day is enough to see everything. Gruz is the district where you will find the pier. Lapad and Babin Kuk are the districts where most of the hotels are located. The most important of the districts is Stari Grad which is also known as the old city. As the name implies Stari means old and Grad is city in Serbian.
The old city surrounded by ramparts has four gates. When you step inside the city from the most important gate of them all, the Pile Gate, you’ll come across the Onofrio’s Fountain and just behind it, the cobblestone paved Stradun Street. During the construction of the fountain, which was built to supply water which had been brought in from many kilometers away, any architects who used even a drop of water in vain were fined. I don’t know which one is true, has the water gained more value, or are there fewer people who know the value of it? But I was definitely surprised to hear that.
The mightiest building of the town is the gothic styled Sponza Palace. They have concerts and exhibitions there. Just beside it is Dubrovnik Cathedral. The legend says Richard the Lionheart, returning from the Crusades, was shipwrecked by a storm, and took shelter in Dubrovnik. He vowed to build a church to show his gratitude to God for sparing his life, and kept his promise by financing the construction of this cathedral. The cathedral was badly damaged after the 1667 earthquake and underwent renovations in the 20th century, and today it stands in its best form.
The 14th century Baroque style Franciscan Monastery is situated in the center of the city with its church, library, and the still functioning pharmacy which has been dispensing medication since 1317.
Just a little ahead is the Bell Tower. The tower has the famous bronze sculpture, “zelenci” (meaning the green ones in Croatian) on it. The two soldiers called Maro and Baro come out hourly to hit the bell. The original wooden statues are preserved in the Sponza Palace now; I think this tower bears a striking resemblance to the tower at Krakow.
Though the ramparts are inherited from the Byzantines, you can see a few signs of the Ottoman Empire on the narrow streets. After the Byzantine Empire and Venice, the town came under the protection of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and paid an annual tribute. I hadn’t done any research before my trip; actually I hadn’t read anything about the place at all, so I was surprised and happy when I came across a three story mosque down one of the narrow streets.
The Rector’s Palace, housing the history department of the museum of Dubrovnik, is also one of the historical buildings inside the ramparts.
As we continued our sightseeing on the white stone paved streets of the city, we stumbled upon St Blasius Church.
The legend says, in the year 971, on the night of February 3rd one of the Venetian ships anchored in front of Dubrovnik under the pretense of taking the city. Meanwhile a priest named Stojko came to the city at midnight and found the doors of the church wide open. As he was walking up to the church, the exhausted and unguarded priest bumped into an old man on the stairs. The old man told him to warn the city council that the Venetians were planning to attack the city. The priest asked the old man who he was, and the man told him that his name was Blasius. The priest warned the city council. They took all the precautions, and closed all the gates of Dubrovnik. When they couldn’t find a way to enter the city, the Venetians heaved up their anchors and Dubrovnik was saved from the surprise attack. Since that day St. Blasius has been the patron saint of Dubrovnik.
Our tour of the city also led us to the Church of Ignatius which lies at the top of a baroque staircase.
In order to complete the Dubrovnik picture we had in our minds, it was a must to walk on the ramparts and enjoy the breath taking scenery of the Adriatic bay.
We didn’t get on the cable car, but I am sure it’s very nice to watch the panoramic view of the whole city; keep in mind, you’ll have bear climbing hundreds of stairs to reach the cable car.
I’m not a lover of pebbled seabeds; I like the sensation of sand under my feet. In Dubrovnik, the seabeds are all pebbled. Despite this, it’s so much fun to pass the ramparts and dive into the sea from the rocks. Every now and then you stumble upon people enjoying the Mediterranean at their portable tables and chairs on the rocks. But if you prefer the beach, just a little ahead of the old city, there is Banje Beach. Unfortunately the seabed at Banje beach is also pebbled…
The animal head statues on the walls are very remarkable in Dubrovnik. They are in fact designed as roof pullers, but today people are betting on them. They say if someone can stand still and take of their shirt on one of the heads, their wishes will come through.
I found Dubrovnik more expensive than the other Balkan countries. Especially the hotel prices are very high, but it’s worth it.
Around Dubrovnik there are lots of islands you can enjoy on a boat trip. We didn’t have the chance but friends who had joined the tours couldn’t get enough of them. Especially Hvar Island is very famous.
Around sunset we left the city. The scenery behind became bigger and bigger as we moved further from the city.
Should you see Dubrovnik? Absolutely yes!
Just around the corner a wonderful weekend is waiting for you behind the city walls.
