Dubrovnik.org

Source: ABC News

Eastern Europe’s Riviera Offers Daytime Scenery and Evening Fun

Sunny beaches, succulent seafood and a taste of “la dolce vita”…in Eastern Europe? Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast — the southern third of the country’s coastline — is Eastern Europe’s Riviera and the medieval city of Dubrovnik is the jewel in its crown.

Some visitors still associate Croatia with the tough Communist years (when it was part of Yugoslavia) and others are scared off because of the war with Serbia in the 1990s. But today, savvy tourists have returned in droves. Croatia feels a little like Italy, but with an easygoing attitude. And the port of Dubrovnik is a living fairytale that shouldn’t be missed.

Within the city’s ramparts, the traffic-free Old Town is a fun jumble of quiet, cobbled back lanes; tasty seafood restaurants; narrow, steep alleys; and kid-friendly squares. After all these centuries, Dubrovnik’s buildings still hint at old-time wealth and the central promenade remains the place to see and be seen.

Dubrovnik’s promenade, alive with locals and tourists alike, is the heartbeat of the city. It’s an Old World shopping mall by day and sprawling cocktail party after dark, when everybody seems to be doing the traditional “korzo,” or evening stroll — flirting, ice-cream-licking, flaunting and gawking. A coffee and some of Europe’s best people-watching in a prime café here is one of travel’s great $3 bargains.

The city’s charm is the sleepy result of its no-nonsense past. Busy merchants, the salt trade and shipbuilding made Dubrovnik rich. Dubrovnik, which feels like a small town now, was a major maritime power 500 years ago, with the third biggest navy seafaring through the Mediterranean.

Dubrovnik’s single best activity is to stroll the picturesque mile around the city walls. As you meander along this lofty perch — with a sea of red roofs on one side and the actual sea on the other — you’ll get your bearings and take dozens of pictures of the ever-changing views.

Located within the city walls, the Franciscan Monastery Museum is a touch of the Middle Ages, when Dubrovnik’s monasteries flourished. Visiting here, you can explore the monastery’s peaceful, sun-dappled cloister and original pharmacy, which dates from 1317. (It’s still in operation today.) On display are jars, pots and other medieval pharmacists’ tools, as well as a little pick-up window that allowed the pharmacist to have minimal contact with the sick and reduced the risk of passing on disease.

Another of Dubrovnik’s top religious sights, its 12th-century cathedral, was funded largely by the English king Richard the Lionhearted. On his way back from the Third Crusade, Richard was shipwrecked nearby. He promised God that if he survived, he’d build a church on the spot where he landed — which happened to be on Lokrum Island, just offshore. At Dubrovnik’s request, Richard agreed to build his token of thanks inside the city instead.

Within Dubrovnik’s cathedral, you’ll find a painting by Titian, “Assumption of the Virgin,” a stark contemporary altar and a quirky treasury packed with 138 relics. The treasury has three locks on the door — an indication of how valuable the collection is. Historically, three different VIPs — the rector, the bishop and a local aristocrat — all had to agree before it could be unlocked. (It’s open to tourists today.)

As you wander through the streets of the Old Town, you can still sense the power and stature of the former republic. Ringed by mighty medieval walls and jutting into the sea, Dubrovnik more than deserves its nickname: the Pearl of the Adriatic.