DUBROVNIK - In Your Pocket

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foreWord
The stones of Dubrovnik tell a 13-century-long tale
of survival. The Roman city of Ragusa developed
into a city-state encompassing the coast as far
south as the Bay of Kotor, the Peljesac Peninsula
and nearby islands including Mljet and Lastovo. On
the walls of Korčula Town, antique cannons still aim
across a narrow channel at the village of Orebić, on
Peljesac. That’s because Korčula was an outpost of
Dubrovnik’s rival, the Republic of Venice.
Legend has it that St. Blaise appeared in a vision
in 971 to warn Dubrovnik of an impending Venetian
invasion. He’s been revered here ever since. But it’s
appropriate that he’s the saint who is celebrated with
the blessing of throats. After all, Dubrovnik remained
independent and prosperous for more than a millennium
on its citizens’ powers of negotiation.
Now Dubrovnik has thrown open its gates to an annual
invasion of thousands of visitors who come to
walk its ancient streets, to see the wealth the city
amassed through centuries of trade, and to stand on
its mighty walls and gaze across the crystalline seas.
We’ll tell you all you need to know to enjoy your visit to
Dubrovnik and the entire region it once ruled.
Cover story
Dubrovnik In Your Pocket
Draškovićeva 66
Zagreb, Croatia
tel. (+385-1) 481 30 27, 481 10 70
fax (+385-1) 492 39 24
zagreb@inyourpocket.com
www.inyourpocket.com
ISSN 1846-0852
©Plava Ponistra d.o.o.
Printed by Radin repro & roto, Zagreb
Cover Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Tourist Board
Dubrovnik In Your Pocket
A breathtaking view
through the fortress of St
John; the first building of
the city which is today a
part of the fortress was
built in the 14th century.
That same fortress
was strengthened and
further widened in the
16th century and it is still
preserved in its original
shape. Its purpose was to
defend the city harbour as
it was considered to be the
most important defence
fortress of the city.
Editorial
Editor Višnja Arambašić
Contributors Nataly Anderson,
Jonathan Kawaguchi, Frank Jelinčić,
Renata Kontrec, Paul Bergen, Tocher
Mitchell
Researcher Anita Piplović, Kristina
Kovač
Layout & Design Ivana Novak, Gordan
Karabogdan
Photos Dubrovnik In Your Pocket
team, Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Tourist Board
Sales & Circulation
General Manager Višnja Arambašić
Sales & Circulation Manager
Kristijan Vukičević
Krešimir Grgić
zagreb@inyourpocket.com
Account Manager Mirna Cindrić
Europe In Your Pocket
Like dominoes the capitals of the Balkans are
falling in the wake of In Your Pocket’s onward
march. After Athens - launched in April - Belgrade
and Ljubljana have been quick to surrender,
and new guides to Sarajevo and Mostar are in
the works. Add in new editions of the Tirana,
Skopje, Pristina and Podgorica guides, and
you have a full set.
Elsewhere arround the Pocket Empire there are
new annual guides in Parnu and Tartu (Estonia),
Kaunas and Klaipeda (Lithuania), while Poland’s
top mountain resort Zakopane now has its own
mini-guide. Look out for lots more new In Your
Pocket mini-guides in a number of European cities
this summer.
Copyright notice
Text and photos copyright Dubrovnik
In Your Pocket. Maps copyright
cartographer. All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be reproduced
in any form, except brief extracts for
the purpose of review, without written
permission from the publisher and
copyright owner. The brand name In Your
Pocket is used under license from UAB
In Your Pocket (Vokieciu 10-15, Vilnius,
Lithuania tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76).
Editor’s note
The editorial content of In Your Pocket
guides is independent from paid-for
advertising. Sponsored listings are
clearly marked as such. We welcome all
readers‘ comments and suggestions.
We have made every effort to ensure
the accuracy of the information at the
time of going to press and assume no
responsibility for changes and errors.
It’s easy to understand why the people of Dubrovnik are proud
of their city – it just takes one look. It takes a little more effort,
however, to understand how deeply this pride runs, and how
many, how varied and how rich and justified are the reasons
for this pride. And, thank goodness, it manifests itself in a
way that is very easy to love: the people of Dubrovnik are
known for their gallantry and hospitality. It’s not an empty
or boastful pride.
Why does the city look the way it does? Why all those walls
and bastions? It was first of all a refugee colony for the people
of Epidaurum (today’s Cavtat), who fled from invading Avar
and Slav tribes. At that time the land south of Stradun, as the
main thoroughfare through the Old Town is popularly called,
was an island, offering some protection from attack, but,
of course, the walls began to rise giving those first fearful
citizens their shelter.
That was in the 7th century. At that time, these lands were
under the protection of Byzantium. Following the Crusades,
Venice took over, and then the Croatian-Hungarian kingdom.
But in the 14th century, by the force of skilled diplomacy, the
nobles of Dubrovnik bargained their freedom, and this became
a city-state which flourished for four centuries, maintaining
independence from feared invaders such as the Turks, and,
indeed, cultivating profitable relations with them.
The skill of the people of Dubrovnik in trade and in many other
areas led to this tiny city state, then known as the Republic of
Ragusa, becoming such a powerful force in the Adriatic that
introducing dubrovnik
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it seriously rivalled Venice’s dominance in the region. And
during the heyday of the city’s development, art and culture
flourished, leading to a love for harmony in ones surroundings,
a love of music, and a love of literature which much shaped
the language of Croatian that we can hear today.
This love of beauty is visible with every step in the Old Town,
this living museum and famous World Heritage site. It can
be seen in the galleries, on the theatre stages, and in its
annual culmination at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, this
year held for the 57th time. It can also be heard – this is a
city of music too, of classical music, but also taking care of
the folk vernacular of the coast and hinterland.
Beauty is only skin deep, and this will to harmonise also
manifested itself in a rather liberal political system which, for
example, abolished slavery at a very early stage (1418). And
alongside this respect for humanitarian concerns naturally
came, the love of freedom. That’s why you’ll so often see
the word “Libertas” emblazoned on everything from flags to
the sides of buses.
It’s hard to believe that this miraculous freedom of the tiny
Republic of Ragusa, and this economic and political might
lasted all the way to the beginning of the 19th century when
the Dubrovnik nobles were tricked by Napoleon to letting his
armies into the city in 1806. So it’s no surprise that the sense
of individuality and collective pride is still so strong. It results,
happily for visitors, in a very unique, visible and well-preserved
culture that’s a joy to uncover.
Summer 2008
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