Dubrovnik: the back story

About Dubrovnik: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Zagreb Editorial Team

Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful walled cities in the world: a town of shining limestone streets, Baroque churches and terracotta roofs, wrapped in massive walls above the sea. Behind its beauty lies the story of a small republic that lived by trade, diplomacy and a fierce love of freedom.

The Republic of Ragusa

For centuries Dubrovnik, known to the outside world as Ragusa, was an independent republic, ruled by its noble families through a Rector who changed every month. Its wealth came from its merchant fleet and from clever diplomacy between the great powers around it, and its motto, Libertas, liberty, still flies on its flag. The republic lasted until Napoleon’s forces ended it in 1808.

Walls built for freedom

To protect that freedom, the city surrounded itself with walls almost two kilometres long, strengthened mainly in the 14th and 15th centuries, with towers and forts such as Minčeta and Lovrijenac. They were never breached by an enemy army in the republic’s time, and walking them today is one of the great experiences of Europe.

For centuries, a small republic of merchants and diplomats kept its freedom through trade and skill rather than armies.

The earthquake and the Baroque city

In 1667 a terrible earthquake destroyed much of the city and killed many of its people. Dubrovnik was rebuilt in the Baroque style, with the long, polished main street, the Stradun, lined with uniform stone houses, and new churches such as St Blaise. A few earlier treasures survived, including the Rector’s Palace, the Sponza Palace and the cloisters of the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries.

The city today

The old town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. It was damaged during the siege of 1991 and 1992 and has been carefully restored. Today it is one of the most visited places on the Mediterranean, and every summer the Dubrovnik Summer Festival fills its squares and forts with theatre and music.

Our advice: walk the walls as soon as they open in the morning or late in the afternoon, when it is cooler and quieter, and avoid the middle of the day when cruise ships are in port. Spend an evening on the Stradun after the day visitors leave, take the cable car up Srđ for sunset, and escape to Lokrum or Cavtat for a swim.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Dubrovnik: the back story before you go.