"Oh, how I miss Dubrovnik" a Dubrovnik Travel Page by midnight_mike

For most people, the ideal vacation is relaxing on a sandy beach. To others, it is connecting with the past by visiting historical locations.

Dubrovnik, on the southern end of the Dalmacijan coast, offers the best of both worlds. Once known as Ragusa, it was an important trading post of Venice. Look at a map and you will notice that Dubrovnik, which is sheltered from the sea's wrath by nearby islands, was a natural stop along the sea route from Venice to Istanbul and the rest of the Middle East. Dubrovnik is the original name of the republic that existed before the Venitians came.

The old city, known in Croatian as Stari Grad, suffered many hardships during the Serbo-Croat war of the 1990s. Several buildings were destroyed or damaged. Restoring the city to its pre-war beauty was a priority for its residents, as tourism was a major revenue source. Only a few delivery vehicles are allowed inside the city. Even those are limited because most of the streets are too narrow for cars or trucks.

Some of the best spots to enjoy the Adriatic Sea are on surrounding islands. The more familiar you are with the ferry schedules, the better your trip will be.

There is no ideal amount of time to spend in Dubrovnik. I suggest spending as much time there as possible. One of the great things about Dubrovnik is that it hasn't been corrupted yet by its celebrity status. Most of the industry is still local. I don't remember seeing any McDonald's restaurants or Gucci boutiques. (As far as I know, Paris Hilton and Tara Reid, thankfully, have never been here!)

Instead of staying in a hotel, a large percentage of visitors rent apartments or houses through an agency. The youth hostel is a great option for younger travelers, but book in advance as it often fills up during the summer. There are also a number of pensions along the coastal roads north and south of the city.