Photo by C Klug
Links to Port Pages
Dubrovnik, Croatia
!7 May 2014
We arrived in Dubrovnik around 10 am on the 17th. As with Kotor, this was our first stop here and we would return again on the 24th. We were very happy that we would get a second visit as the day was slightly rainy and overcast.
We tendered in to the old harbor around 11 and began our own walking tour of the old town. We strolled the Stradun and went towards the Pile Gate to visit the Franciscan Monastery and museum. The venue is beautiful and they had numerous artifacts and also the original pharmacy started in 1317 which is the third oldest in the world. While they no longer dispense from the original pharmacy, a "new" pharmacy dispenses aromatic lotions, etc. to visitors. The courtyard is spectacular and peaceful.
Once outside it was beginning to rain again so we found an outdoor cafe with umbrellas near St Onofrio's and enjoyed our requisite cappuccino and then splurged with a slice of pizza.
We continued on and wandered through some shops and then visited the Rector's Palace musuem. The museum contained many artifacts including lock chests from the 15 and 16th centuries and later, sedan chairs from the 1700s, and other items from the period. The "Rector" was the governor of the area and in addition to rooms for residence there are also meeting rooms for the different levels of the government of the time. Unfortunately neither museum allowed photographs so we purchased some postcards.
Our last excursion was to locate the store "Croata". The tie as we know it today was actually not a French "invention" but rather Croatian. The Croatians tied their scarves in a distinct way. The French in battle noted them as "Croate" meaning tied in the Croatian way. As Randy is a huge tie collector we had to locate the shop and find him a tie. Once in the store we found they also make scarves for women, so Carey ended up with a beautiful scarf of her own!
Back to the ship in the late afternoon after a lovely day out, even with the rain, we had reservations for dinner on the deck with the "Hot Rocks". One of our favorite places to eat in the evening on Silversea. We enjoyed a quiet table in the corner and then joined up with fellow travelers in the lounge for after dinner drinks. Next stop would be Hvar!
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Dubrovnik |
Stradun |
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Walking Pred Dvorom |
Walking |
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Postcard - Dubrovnik pre 1667 |
Bronze Jacks - postcard |
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Postcard - German Armada Chest 1700s |
Gundulic Square |
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Randy outside St Sebastian church |
Old Harbor and Silver Wind |
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Randy - waiting for Hot Rocks!! |
Dubrovnik alit |
23 May 2014
What a glorious day to arrive back in Dubrovnik. Just what we hoped for. The skies were clear and clouds high in the sky. We headed off the ship with Michael, one of our new friends, and tendered to the harbor. Our first stop was to take the cable car up the mountain for a view of the town and harbor. It was truly an OMG moment. The view is spectacular. Anyone visiting Dubrovnik this is a must - take the cable car up. Warning though - they don't take Euros or other currency, only Kunas and credit cards! The ticket is 100 Croatian Kuna which is about $17 US. Well worth the cost. There is a restaurant and outdoor sitting areas if you choose to spend time just taking in the views.
We headed back down to town and wandered over to our "favorite" coffee cafe by the Pile Gate and enjoyed some refreshments with Michael before he headed off on his own. Next thing on the list was to walk the city walls! Another 100 Croatian Kuna per person and strong legs is required! We headed toward the bay side walking through the narrow paths on top of the walls. Halfway around and facing the harbor was a juice bar. Perfect rest stop and replenishment. We both enjoyed mixed fruit juices and then decided to exit the city walls at the main gate area. We could have spent another hour walking the even more intense inclines up the side of the mountain, but we decided we would rather shop and wander.
After some wandering around we headed back to the ship. We met up with David and Lynn for toddies and then changed for dinner together on the deck for the grill. It was a wonderful evening with great food and great company!
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Dubrovnik |
Closer View of Old Town |
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Cable Car |
View from the mountain |
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View of the Silver Wind |
The Klugs! (Thanks to Michael) |
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Fort Lovrijenac (St Lawrence) - Dubrovnik's "Gibralter Rock" for its role in resisting Venetian rule |
Walking the walls |
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Some of the desrtuction from the war in 1991 |
Old Harbor and Silver Wind |
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Juice break on the city walls |
Tickets |
Pre-cruise Posts
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Dubrovnik (pronounced [dǔbroːʋnik]), also known as Ragusa, is a city on the Adriatic Sea coast of Croatia, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Its total population is 42,615 (census 2011).[1] In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has long been based on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, also known as a Maritime Republic (together with Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa, Venice and other Italian cities), it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries.
The beginning of tourism in Dubrovnik is often associated with the construction of the late 19th-century luxury hotels in Croatia, such as Grand Hotel (1890) in Opatija and the Hotel Imperial (1897) in Dubrovnik.[2] According to CNNGo, Dubrovnik is among the 10 best medieval walled cities in the world.[3] Although Dubrovnik was demilitarised in the 1970s to protect it from war, in 1991, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was besieged by Serb-Montenegrin forces for seven months and received significant shelling damage. (From Wikipedia)
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What We Plan to See:
As with Kotor, Montenegro, Dubrovnik is on both legs of the two itineraries we are linking for a back to back. We are very excited about the additional time here as there is much we want to see and do!
Dubrovnik is a city/town of historic significance. We've seen some video on TV and photos, but we are certain it will be an extraordinary visit. We are planning to wander the town, possibly take the tram up the mountain to view the city from above and maybe even go to the Franciscan monastery which is described - "The Franciscan monastery's library possesses 30,000 volumes, 216 incunabula, 1,500 valuable handwritten documents. Exhibits include a 15th-century silver-gilt cross and silver thurible, an 18th-century crucifix from Jerusalem, a martyrology (1541) by Bemardin Gucetic and illuminated psalters" (Wikipedia)
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Walk the walls or go up the tram to see this view |
Stradun - Main Street |
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Franciscan Monastery |
City Walls |
Great source for researching our trip : Dubrovnik Online - pages of information and pictures!
