4 May 2023 - Dubrovnik

After a longer than expected day on the water yesterday, we decided to stay in Dubrovnik for another 24 hours, and we spent it with preparation (aka food shopping) and then a visit to the historic old town. We had been before but concluded that we could not be here without revisiting this beautiful and historic old city.

The bus we took to get there was crowded, and this was matched by the number of tourists when we arrived, but then Dubrovnik is one of the biggest draws in the Mediterranean. There were two cruise ships in the port, and we assume that most of the guests were taken to the city.

Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its outstanding medieval architecture and fortified old town. We decided to start with a walk around the city walls to give an impression of the whole city. We stopped at a galley and a museum en route, and learned more of the history.  Dubrovnik was originally founded  probably in the 7th century, by the inhabitants of the Roman city of Epidaurum,  after its destruction by the Avars and Slavs c. 615. Some of the survivors moved 25 kilometres north to a small island near the coast where they founded a new settlement, Lausa. It has been claimed that a second raid by the Slavs in 656 resulted in the total destruction of Epidaurum. Slavs settled along the coast in the 7th century and named their settlement Dubrovnik.

The city was under Byzantine domination until 1204, with the exception of periods of Venetian (1000–1030) and later Norman (1081–1085, 1172, 1189–1190) rule. It later became a major trading port and a centre of excellence for shipbuilding.  In the 16th Century, the navy was the third largest in the world and supplied skilled mariners to various other countries, including captains to the Spanish Armada. In partnership with Ancona, Dubrovnik vied with Venice for domination of the Adriatic trade. The prosperity allowed the building of the magnificent city walls which have protected the city for centuries.

Lots of pictures today...

















After the walls, we wandered through the streets and alleys, before visiting the Rector's Palace.



Miles today            0

Miles in 2023     396

Steve (& Tricia)

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