This Super Old City is a Portal to Medieval Times.

Welcome to Dubrovnik,

one of the most beautiful cities in Croatia, which is saying a lot.
From what I’ve seen, most cities in the country are breathtaking.

Old Town, the amazingly preserved medieval portion of this stunning port on the Adriatic, was one of the most important locations in Game of Thrones.
Even though it played a castle on TV, it never functioned as one in real life.

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Dubrovnik, originally Ragusa,
dates back to the 7th century.

It’s believed the port was established by Greek sailors.

The walls of Old Town are impressive, towering about 80 feet above the cobblestone ground below. In fact, no army has ever been able to breach their fortifications. That is until 1991, when the Serbians bombed the historic site, killing many and destroying about 50% of the irreplaceable buildings during the Siege of Dubrovnik.

If you are too young to remember, google it. It’s hard to believe it happened in such recent history. The rest of the world condemned the attack, and eventually Croatia won its independence.

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Now, life goes on normally within these famous walls. Kids play soccer in the streets and laundry dangles over walkways. However, the city is under a siege of a new sort—cruise ships.

I visited a few years ago, and with new rules in place to prevent over-tourism, Old Town was still jam-packed. There is a limit to 2 boats docking per day, allowing 5,000 tourists in and out. Even that feels like too much. There’s a sigh of relief each night as the multitudes go back to their ships.

This isn’t new. It’s been happening all over the world.
Please, when you visit a place, respect it and the people who call it home. 
The locals are kind enough to share their space with you.
Show them how grateful you are through your behavior.

Lord Byron dubbed Dubrovnik “Pearl of the Adriatic”

Inside the 3 archways pictured above is a beautiful little cafe, but centuries ago, it was a busy arsenal where many of the city’s defense ships were docked and built.

The city walls are incredibly thick, ranging 4 to 6 meters, and were once protected by 120 cannons.

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Stay tuned! I can’t wait to share more of this unique city with you.