A day in Dubrovnik
In Dubrovnik there are so many things to be seen that I think it is the perfect place to spend a weekend, or at least 3 days, simply wandering on the streets.
The city was named Ragusa in the Middle Age and it became the only city-state that was a rival to Venice, due to its maritime commerce.
Along its long history, it had to keep a balance between the rising Ottoman Empire and the ambitious Republic of Venice to preserve its independence. At the base of its success, there have always been a strong diplomacy and a massive fleet of commercial ships, which imposed it as one of the wealthiest European states.
If you visit Montenegro, Dubrovnik may be considered a bonus to your trip. You can see the city in one day, but you should return for a few days more.
If you want to visit Dubrovnik and you come from Montenegro, there are a few things you should know:
- Dubrovnik was sieged in 1991 by military forces from Serbia and Montenegro and because of this you should be a little careful when discussing with people from any side of the border on this subject.
- When visiting the city walls to see Dubrovnik from above, you may notice the slight difference in color of the tiles from the buildings. After the siege ended, many buildings have been restored and those were the tiles they used. Actually, a big part of the city has been restored after the siege.
Let’s go back to our days. Before visiting the city, I recommend you to start with a walk on the city walls. They surround the entire city, are very well kept and you will have a complete image on the areas to be seen.
If you go in the summer, you should know it is hot as hell, and you should have water with you and a little umbrella (I saw at the crazy Japanese tourists). On the walls there are some little cafes, but everything is expensive there, so be prepared.
After you finish with the city walls, you can take the main street (Stradun) and see what is there, churches, museums and little terraces. Now it is quite easy, you just follow the other tourists. I recommend you to avoid any recommendation and just lose yourself on the city streets. Don’t worry, you won’t finish the city in just one day, it is pretty big.
So, watch the city, stop at an open-air terrace, eat a pizza and relax, there is nothing better to do in just one day.
