"Dubrovnik - Ragusa" Top 5 Page for this destination Dubrovnik by pure1942

The aesthetic beauty of Dubrovnik is quite simply breathtaking and a visit to the city makes it clear why George Bernard Shaw referred to Dubrovnik as ‘paradise on earth’ and why the city has become one of Europe’s most popular travel destinations. The city sits at the end of the coastal tail of Croatia and access to this most southerly region of the country can be a little difficult, apart from flying direct. However, the effort required to get to Dubrovnik is more than made up for by the stunning architecture, natural beauty and ancient history which awaits every visitor to Dalmatia’s crowning glory.

Dubrovnik’s Old Town is Croatia’s most famous and precious jewel. Although plagued by an ever-increasing number of tourists, a stroll through the exquisite Old Town is still a special experience for all visitors.
Dubrovnik’s Old Town has always been a popular destination for visitors but the Balkan Conflict of the 1990’s caused severe damage to Dubrovnik, both physically and economically. Dubrovnik has now recovered from the pointless and strategically useless shelling of its beautiful Old Town and is now welcoming visitors back to enjoy the newly reconstructed splendour and architectural gems which include The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, Dominican Monastery, Jesuit Monastery, Onofrio Fountain, Fort St. John, St. Blaise’s Church and Sponza Palace, not to mention the mighty City Walls which have protected the Old Town and Harbour of Dubrovnik for centuries.
However, as if its architectural treasures were not enough, Dubrovnik is more than just an open-air museum of Venetian, Medieval and Baroque styles of construction and art. The atmosphere of this place is unique. From the overcrowded main drag of Placa to the quieter and more secluded squares and alleys, Dubrovnik’s Old Town has to be experienced to be appreciated and no matter how much you might yearn to be able to enjoy it in unattainable solitude, take solace in the fact that you are somewhere uniquely special. Try to forget the crowds around you and just appreciate that while you are not alone in the experience, you are still immensely lucky to be able to see it at al

Historically Dubrovnik has always had a powerful strategic and economic importance. From the Greeks to the Romans and from the Slavs to the Venetians, with an ever-present threat by Ottoman forces, Dubrovnik was always going to be sought after, due to its important location on the mid Adriatic coast. Its power and independent nature is historically evident with the proclaimation of the city as a recognised, independent republic (Ragusa) during the 14th century. Wealth and power brought about by merchant trading and a strong naval and marine tradition fuelled the building of Dubrovnik’s breathtaking Old Town and imposing City Walls and the grandeur and splendour we can see today are there as a result if this independent history.
Strife was never far from Dubrovnik and even as recently as the 1990’s Dubrovnik has been attacked by foreign armies. The pointless and strategically useless shelling of Dubrovnik by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) between 1991 and 1992 sent shock waves around the world, as there was no military significance to the shelling. All wars have similar cruel and disgusting episodes and all sides have their own sides to the story and tales of cruelty to tell, but the siege of Dubrovnik was unquestionably wrong and disgustingly brutal. Thankfully, most of the damage has been repaired and the city is back, looking its shiny best...with the ever increasing crowds of tourists, now ready to return to what has always been one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. After-all, Dubrovnik is used to adversity. The city was also destroyed by a more natural foe, in the form of a devastating earthquake in 1667. Dubrovnik again, emerged from the dust, shook itself off and rebuilt and restored itself to its resplendent glory...let’s just pray it won’t have to again and that it will remain as it is for many more centuries to come.