The Old Town of Dubrovnik, the historical core of the Croatian city of Dubrovnik, formerly Ragusa or the Republic of Ragusa, known as an important maritime power, is an imposing historical site on the southern Dalmatian coast. Also called the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Croatia since 1979. The Old Town of Dubrovnik is a unique medieval area of a walled city with numerous monuments from the Middle Ages, Baroque and Renaissance, which today are in excellent condition and form a self-contained architectural whole.
Dubrovnik is used as a filming location for numerous scenes in the fantasy television series Game of Thrones. Among others, the Lovrijenac Fortress, the Pile Gate and parts of the city’s fortifications were used as locations in the HBO series, mainly for the capital King’s Landing and the city of Qarth. Due to the popularity of the series, special Game of Thrones city tours are now offered in Dubrovnik. As a result of the series, there was a significant increase in tourism in Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Mediterranean and is a centre of tourism. The city is increasingly becoming a meeting place for the international jet set and high society. The old town is car-free except for limited delivery and resident traffic; parking is very limited near the old town.
The city walls of Dubrovnik are 1940 metres long and between three and six metres wide and (for a fee) completely accessible. They are the best-preserved fortification system in Europe and comprise a perfectly preserved complex of public and private, sacred and secular buildings from all periods of the city’s history, beginning with its foundation in the 7th century.
Dubrovnik city harbour.
Main promenade (the “Stradun”).
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Saint Blasius (Sveti Vlaho): After the 14th-century church of the city’s patron saint, Blasius, burned down in 1706, the three-nave Baroque church was built on the same site in 1715. At the high altar is the gilded statue of the saint carrying a model of the medieval town.
The Dominican monastery (Ulica iza medja) was founded in the 13th century and built in the 14th and 15th centuries, then rebuilt several times. Like the bell tower, the church has Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque stylistic elements. It contains valuable paintings, including “Saint Magdalene with Saint Blasius” by Titian. The richly decorated arcades of the cloister are in the transition from Gothic to Renaissance.
The Franciscan monastery dates from the 14th century. Above the late Gothic south portal of the church is a Pietà by the Petrović brothers. Inside is a 15th century pulpit and the tomb of the poet Ivan Gundulić. The cloister, built in the first half of the 14th century, is Romanesque and was partially restored in the 15th century in the Gothic style.
The Rector’s Palace (first built in 1435) was destroyed by gunpowder explosions in the 15th century, then rebuilt in the Renaissance style. After the earthquake of 1667, Baroque style elements were added during the reconstruction. In the centre of the palace is the atrium surrounded by arcades and a 15th century fountain.
Medieval pharmacy, dating from 1317, one of the oldest in Europe.
Mount Srđ, 412 metres high, is Dubrovnik’s local mountain. From the city, a hiking trail leads in serpentines to the summit. The peak with a large stone cross can also be reached by cable car and by car via a relatively narrow road. The summit has been developed into a tourist attraction with a viewing terrace and restaurant.
Other sights include the Roland’s Column, the Customs House, the Sponza Palace and the Bell Tower. Dubrovnik also has one of the oldest municipal theatres in Europe, where performances are still held.
On the offshore island of Lokrum and in the suburb of Ploče there are lazarets, here called lazareti, where travellers arriving in Europe for the first time from 1377 had to stay in quarantine in isolation for 30 days, later 40 days, as a preventive protection of the city against the plague.
The world’s oldest arboretum, Arboretum Trsteno, which was established around 1492, is located near the city of Dubrovnik.
The Lovrijenac Fortress is located west of the old town on a 37-metre-high rock. The inscription on the fortress “Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro” means “Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world”. This was first mentioned in an official document in 1301.
English title: A walk through Dubrovnik Old Town | Trip to Croatia 2022
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