If you’re planning to spend the holiday you’ve been longing for in
one of our Villas in Dalmatia, treat yourself with a
short trip to Dubrovnik. You can find more information about the
Pearl of the Adriatic in our article about the most famous tourist attractions in Dubrovnik's Old Town. If you’re still thirsty of information after it, please continue reading, because this article is all about the
symbol of Dubrovnik - the city walls.
This imposing building consists of many fortresses, towers, bastions, corner fortifications, drawbridges and outer walls on the side of the mainland. It was built to protect the
medieval city of Ragusa from all possible attacks.
The construction of the current city walls begann in the 13th century. The walls can be walked in full length and are considered to be one of the
best preserved city walls in whole Europe. Together with the historic Old Town it entered the
UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.
The two main entrances to the 1940 m long and up to 6 m wide stone walls are located on the opposite sides of the walls. The monumental building in the shape of an irregular polygon is constructed to
fit the natural surroundings. The walls are up to 25 m high.
A walk above the
breathtaking brick roofs of the historic Old Town provides every visitor with
unbelievably beautiful view sights. On top of that, every curious visitor gets a sneak peek into the everyday life of local residents of the Old Town. Watch out: Walking on the city walls is allowed in
counterclockwise direction only.
The fortress Minceta, the highest point of the city walls, offers the visitors one of the most photogenic
panoramic views over Dubrovnik. Legend says that there was a big shortage of stone during the construction of this 80 m high fortress. It was therefore obligatory to
bring a stone with you in order to be allowed to enter the Old Town.
Surrounded with ditches and the sea, the
fortress Revelin protected the northeastern entrance to the Old Town. Today the three entrances of this famous fortress offer a warm welcome to the audience of
Dubrovnik Summer Festival.
It is believed that there was a really
narrow prison inside the
fortress Bokar for the worse criminals. Archeologists haven’t been able to prove it until today. One thing is for sure - the fortress was used as an armoury for centuries.
The
fortress Sv. Ivan was built for the protection of the old port. Today, it houses the
Maritime Museum and the
Aquarium of Dubrovnik. The canons and weapons in front of the fortress were replaced by romantic benches.
It is no coincidence that the
fortress Lovrijenac was built on a 37 m high rock. Its main role was to protect the city from all attacks from the sea. The famous inscription on Lovrijenac „
Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro“ („Liberty is not well sold for all the gold“) sums up the politics of the Republic of Ragusa perfectly.
The
uniqueness and beauty of the city walls of
Dubrovnik makes paying them a visit an absolute must during your Dalmatian holiday. Find the time to fully enjoy this mosaic of brick roofs, stone and sea.
Karla Zban
7.9.2022
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
