Dubrovnik, Croatia

Today we stopped at the port of Dubrovnik.

We met our tour guide and headed toward Cavtat. Cavtat is located on a peninsula and surrounded between harbors. It is an ancient town founded by Greeks and taken over by the Romans in 228 BC. Today it is a lovely, small tourist town.

We spent an hour walking through quiet narrow streets and along the water. We were the only tour group in town and we felt so fortunate to have the place to ourselves.

As we walked we learned about the break up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and the effect it had on current day Croatia. This recent political upheaval changed many lives, borders and economies.

Dubrovnik was attacked by the Yugoslav Peoples Army in October 1991. The city was under siege until May  1992. During this time 56% of the city was damaged.

The only remnant of the destruction we saw were the walls of one house.

The entire city has been rebuilt following UNESCO guidelines. You have to look hard to see reminders of the damage that took place so recently.

We were dropped by the main entry gate of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is an amazing medieval town completely  surrounded by a fortified stone wall. A statue of St. Blaise, the patron saint of Dubrovnik and protector of the town  greeted us from his perch over the town gate.

We walked along streets paved in cobblestone surrounded by buildings that were four stories high. Apartments are vertical so that there are some rooms that get daylight. The rooms on the bottom floors remain dark as the buildings are so close together.
We walked around the town on the stone ramparts, enjoying the sight of the city roofs and church spires.

Narrative By PattyLeer más