Dubrovnik

The view from Fort of St. Laewrence

We've spent the past few days in Dubrovnik, at the southernmost end of Croatia nearing the border with Montenegro.  For centuries, Dubrovnik was a maritime power and an independent city-state that paid whichever empire was in power nearby-- Byznantium, Ottoman, Venetian -- to maintain its independence.   The thick medieval walls still ring the old city center as it enjoys its nickname still today: Pearl of the Adriatic.

Dubrovnik is remarkably well-preserved, but that history was nearly lost during Croatia's war for independence from Yugoslavia.  Dubrovnik suffered almost eight months of bombing before being liberated by the Croatian army.  Many buildings were damaged, but today, the most noticeable reminders are the bright orange tiled roofs, that show which buildings have been rebuilt.

The darker, browner tiles are roofs that survived the bombing campaign.

We're proud to say we hiked the entire city wall for great views of the old town.  We also ventured to the Fort of St. Lawrence that sits on a nearby bluff with fantastic views of the city with its walls jutting into the Adriatic Sea.  We've wandered the many narrow lanes and watched the sun set from the Buza Bar that sits along a rocky outcrop in the Adriatic on the outside of the city walls.  Buza means "hole-in-the-wall", which we literally walked through to access the bar.

We've also eaten gelato daily because gelato makes every day a great day.  It's easy to fall in love with Dubrovnik which we've done in our few days here. 

Gelato makes everything better

The city walls lit up at night