Discovering the “Adriatic Sea Pearl”

Angela: perfectly rested thanks to the tranquility of the environment, we are ready for our day. The sea and the first morning sun immediately put us in a good mood and entice us to discover the wonders of the area.

Piero: we leave early then we head south to Dubrovnik!

Angela: the beauty of the landscape accompanies us during the journey: the small stretch of peninsula that leads from Ston to continental Croatia, in its simplicity, is truly wonderful. The day before, perhaps taken by the tiredness of the journey and the desire to arrive, we did not appreciate it: there is no human intervention, only sea and wild nature.

Piero: we have to travel about sixty kilometers of road along the coast; the beauty of the sea view is interrupted by the many islands that occupy this stretch of the Dalmatian coast.

Angela: it takes us about an hour to get to the gates of Dubrovnik and admire the view from the Franco Tudman Bridge.

Piero: it is a recent construction, started and completed at the turn of the 2000s. It is a cable-stayed bridge five hundred meters long and fifty meters high and it is a symbol of reconstruction after the war in the Balkans of the nineties: its design, in fact, dates back to the war period and it is named after the first president of the free Croatian Republic. It facilitates the journey to reach the city. Back in the days it was necessary to drive along the fjord (which could take you half an hour more).

Angela: maybe the drive along the fjord would have been equally interesting, but the view from the top of the bridge is certainly fascinating. Let's go to Dubrovnik now!

Piero: not yet! We first reach Mount Sergio (Srd in Croatian).

Angela: our goal is to take home the wonderful photo of the red roofs of Dubrovnik from above, embraced by the mighty city walls that welcome the beauty of the sea.

Piero: it is not a very easy road, especially with our van: steep at times, always narrow, a continuum of sharp bends overhanging the sea; help ... dizziness!

Angela: the view fully repays the small sacrifice though! Seen from there, the city and the island of Lacroma in front of it are truly wonderful. Look at the blue tones of the sea, the white stone with which the city is built and the bright red of the roofs!

Piero: from the Mount there is a path that leads directly to the entrance of the old city; the path is not very easy and it is not advisable if you have children. So let's get on board of the van and head to the heart of the city. The top of the mountain can be reached from the city with the cable car.

Angela: parking near the village is really a challenge; there is a paid parking but it is very small. We then stop at the paid public parking just outside. It is convenient and economical and allows us to quickly reach the fortified city through an elegant pedestrian path. Of course the climb won't be easy, but we'll think about it later ...

Piero: now is the time to enjoy this wonderful city! Ancient Ragusa (yes, we are still in Croatia and not in Sicily) with its wonderful historic center is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites and it is, with good reason, considered the real "pearl of the Adriatic". It boasts a very ancient history, made up of independence and strategic importance. Its foundation dates back to the 7th century AD. It has alternated long periods of independence with the various Byzantine, Venetian, Napoleonic and Austro-Hungarian dominations, always maintaining its pride and autonomy, thanks to its commercial and maritime power.

Angela: after the First World War, with the disintegration of the Austrian empire, Ragusa passes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia; finally, with the Croatian war of independence, it became part of the newly formed Republic of Croatia.

Piero: today the city has been completely rebuilt and no longer bears the signs of the war: its red roofs, destroyed by bombing, are one of the symbols of the devastation of that period.

Angela: we will enter the old city from the drawbridge located in front of Pile Gate, the main and classic open passage between the imposing walls that surround it.

Piero: it is absolutely worth starting the visit walking along the path on the walls. It is not cheap though, from there you can enjoy a wonderful view of its splendid streets, squares, churches and palaces.

Angela: now let's start our walk around the city starting from its main street, the Stradun. The street is enchanting, no cars allowed, built with white marble slabs which, on sunny days, welcome visitors in all their brightness.

Piero: right at the beginning of the Stradun it is the imposing Oronzo Fountain. Moving even further on, some of the most beautiful buildings in the city in Renaissance and Baroque style overlook the avenue. The most beautiful are certainly the Sponza Palace and the Rector's Palace.

Angela: in addition to the palaces, the center is full of churches and places of worship. Certainly deserve a visit the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, the synagogue, one of the oldest in the world, the Dominican Monastery with its beautiful cloister and finally the Church of St. Blaise, patron saint of the city, with its altars and the statue of the saint made in silver.

Piero: the Stradun ends with the magnificent Luza Square where the clock tower and the cathedral stand out. On the right of the passage to the left of the tower, we reach another of the most significant areas of the city, the old port. Today it is just a tourist port full of yachts and sailboats; on the shore you can still see the arches of the ancient arsenal, where boats were once built and repaired.

Angela: we finish our walk by reaching the ramparts of Fort Revelin, clearly visible from the port, it once had the task of protection from land attacks.

Piero: time to relax and enjoy the sun and the sea; this city has a wonderful climate all year round, thanks to its latitude, the sea and above all because of Srđ the island of Lokrum which protect the city from the winds.

Angela: a curiosity: in this wonderful city some episodes of “Game of Thrones” TV series were shot (the city King’s Landing was mainly shot there).

Piero: it's time to go back now. We will walk back from a secondary street to savor the wonders of this city once again.

Angela: the tour of the city does not take a lot of time and it can be easily explored in a day, leaving us space in the afternoon for some entertainment for the kids.

Piero: let's go back to Ston now, with the beauty of the true "pearl of the Adriatic" still in our eyes.

Angela: click HERE to review all the images and watch this wonderful video that retraces our visit to Dubrovnik.