George Bernard Shaw said: ‘’Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik”. What can we say about Dubrovnik, which words can we use to describe its beauty? Dubrovnik speaks for itself, it is a city that has withheld many centuries unchanged, authentic, cherished by its citizens. Some cities are loved, some are honoured, and Dubrovnik is a city to be lived. It has so much life inside its walls, and those who live in it can not imagine a life anywhere else. Throughout history, his citizens have played a crucial role in creating its cosmopolitan views. It has been known for freedom, independence in many historical eras, equality among its citizens. Even the city itself is build in a uniform way, so that no one could ever stand out solely based on the material items, they valued most the virtue of being a good human being. That was the reason it attracted only the best of the best, and stood out on the map of the world.
It is so much more than the home of beautiful beaches, hidden shores, blue crystal clear see, amazing natural food and cuisine.
Dubrovnik is made of its stories, and we invite you to find them out.
History
Although in ancient times a recorded colony named Laus, in the Roman Empire, near the city of Epidaurus (todays Cavtat), the name Dubrovnik stands out later in the 7th century with the migration and arrival of Croatians. They made a settlement on the shore across the channel of Laus, and the name Dubrovnik probably originates from the dense oak woods that surrounded the town on the slopes of the hill Srdj. In the 9th century, the two settlements were joined and fortified under the name of Dubrovnik and in the 11th century the channel between the two settlements was finally covered-up and the City was physically united. The former channel became the most famous street of Dubrovnik, the Stradun street.
The town grew and survived many years, under the Byzantine empire and later on Venicean reign. Thus Dubrovnik developed slowly into an aristocratic republic becoming free in the 14th century.
Its freedom was most valued, which can be seen in the engraving on the fortress Lovrijenac – "Non bene pro toto venditur Libertas auro" – "Liberty can not be sold for all the gold in the world.” And Dubrovnik was best at diplomacy and used it to keep its precious liberty in any way possible. The City had such an extensive maritime trade network that their ships sailed all the way even to England. And the Republic was so wealthy that it held colonies in India.
The extent of the County of Dubrovnik-Neretva roughly corresponds to the boundaries of the Dubrovnik Republic, that excelled in culture, architecture, arts, and sciences for five centuries until its demise in the 19th century.
Game Of Thrones
In recent times, Dubrovnik has become the center of modern cultural events, home to Croatia’s artistic and intellectual elite, a city of summer festivals, an international parade of top musical and theatrical achievements, a city of museums and galleries. These values have turned Dubrovnik into a place which offers a rich selection of various experiences and excitement, but also offers a complete holiday in a quiet and calming, mild Mediterranean ambience and wonderful seaside landscapes.
Dubrovnik’s most famous feature are its City Walls, a great remnant fortification system of the Middle Ages which can be easily considered amongst the world’s most spectacular structures. Because of its rich historical legacy this charming medieval city has also become a very attractive location for film industry. It was the main filming location for the fictional city of King’s Landing in the immensely popular mini-series Game of Thrones which was filmed in Dubrovnik from 2011 to 2018, from 2 nd to the final 8 th season. The Old Town Dubrovnik was integrated into the setting of the series without any special site editing or special effects needed in order to portray the gripping fortified port city of King’s Landing. This vast popularity of the series greatly contributed to Dubrovnik’s already well established reputation as a world known go-to touristic destination but also now thousands of fans of the series walk the murky streets of King’s Landing in person.
Gastronomy
Dubrovnik delicacies are simple and usually prepared with only few spices that do not harm the natural taste of the food which goes well with Mediterranean cuisine. The area abounds in fruits of earth and sun, you can choose among the many kinds of delicious vegetables, including artichokes, aubergines, asparagus, broad beans, courgettes, courgette flowers, different varieties of cabbage, different fruits like pomegranates, melons, figs, plums and an endemic sort of grapes called ‘krivaja’. Those visiting local taverns wish to taste authentic national food, good smoked ham, cheese kept in oil, octopus salad, green menestra (smoked salted meat and cabbage stew), sporki macaroni (with veal chunks and spices stewed over a long time), fried sprats and grilled sardines. Fine dining restaurants and young creative chefs serve the freshest seafood from the depths of the Adriatic, the world-famous oysters from Mali Ston, and meat specialities alike. And for those with a sweet tooth there is a variety of beloved local desserts such as Dubrovnik Rozata (crème brulee Dubrovnik style), Ston cake, kotonjata (quince pudding), arancini (candied orange rind) and many others. Dubrovnik’s best gastronomic experience is to dine “al fresco” on the beautiful terraces, romantic squares and alleys, listening to some good live music and tasting some exquisite Croatian wines. The best-known wines of the Dubrovnik region include red wines of the Peljesac Peninsula, the famous Plavac Mali variety, equally the white wines – Posip from the Island of Korcula, the Malvasia known in history as ˝ the nectar of gods˝, and other sorts from the Konavle area with the characteristic flavour of the south.