An impressive entrance into the fortified community of Dubrovnik, Croatia is to arrive by cruise ship in Split and take a bus ride over an unblemished, coastal mountainside to the impressive City Walls, known by locals as the Gradske Zidine. The massive walls contrast with the fluid ocean surrounding the Southern half of the Old City. The Gothic and Renaissance archways and palaces are fitting for a Shakespearean theatrical setting.
You enter through one of two gates. The smaller stone bridge entrance is located at the northeast tip of the wall and named the Ploce Gate. Guards dressed in striking uniforms stand attention at this gateway and also at the main entrance, the Pile Gate.
The Pile Gate opens its wooden drawbridge with chain pulleys at the western side of the wall. You follow the Placa to reach the tour guided walk around the wall. The Placa was a shallow sea channel that divided the city both physically and socially until it was filled during the 12th century.
Before walking around the top of the wall, you enter the Pomorski Muzej, the Maritime Museum on the upper level of St. John’s Fortress. Fantastic models reveal the evolution of sailing vessels in Croatia and present the increasing fortification of the city walls by adding bastions and towers during the 400 years following its completion in the 13th century.
It is a long walk around the top, and I do not recommend carrying an infant while wearing two inch sandals. The views are phenomenal and you get a sense of the desperate desire for survival that encompasses the Croatian history. Even though the temperature is climate within the Old City, the top of the wall is hot. Vendors and cafes are available with water and snacks so make sure you bring some spending money.
If you opt out of walking the full distance and decide to spend time in the Old Town below, you can descend narrow, open stairs which are crumbling and without any handrails – again, don’t recommend carrying a baby on this tour. Within the town, it seems gypsies and noblemen live side by side. The narrow alleyways have small shops, but the items are not notable. There is a bookstore with a selection of English text; however, once I returned home I realized I could have purchased the same books at my local store at a lower price. Travel size goods include wine and cheese.
History is the theme of the Old Town and there are unique museums. A War Photo Limited museum displays the horrendous disadvantages of enduring war. The Muzej Provoslavne Crkve, the Orthodox Church Museum, presents Balkan and Russian religious icons in addition to contemporary work by Vlaho Bukovac. The Katedrala Velika Gospa, the Cathedral of Our Lady, is full of religious paintings and relics of saints that are decorated with gold, silver, and jewels. A Jewish Synagogue is also open for view. The Crkva Svetog Vhaha, is the 18th century Church of St. Blaise. The Dominikanski Samostan, the Dominican Monastery is constructed with gothic cloisters and holds a religious paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries.
My favorite aspect of the Old Town is the Knezev Dvor, the Bishops Palace. Expect to see festivities. Russian dancers kick and stomp in front of a seated crowd of tourists dining and drinking from silver mugs. Military guards move in formation as if they too are putting on a dancing performance.
I recommend this trip for families because it is safe and a true medieval town well worth the education and excitement of being exposed to something new. I also recommend this as a stop for couples who love an amorous setting.
