Croatian cultural heritage - Business - Hrvatska turistička zajednica

the Dalmatian coast'', because not many cities boast such a
beautiful location on the cliffs above the sea, with such well
preserved medieval stone walls and towers (3).
The towers and walls were built with good reason. Dubrovnik,
being so beautiful and wealthy was under threat
from many conquerors, as it was under threat in the recent
war in the last decade of the 20th century. Next to the
cannons on the walls of Dubrovnik today we will not find
soldiers, but peaceful tourists (5 & 8) and participants of
theatrical performances and folklore events (4). Instead of
cannons and rifles, today well-intentioned tourists admire
this unique panorama, trying to permanently capture its
beauty with their cameras (7 & 9).
The main vein of Dubrovnik is the street Stradun (30), on
whose western end we can find the large fountain of Onofrio
(6), and at the eastern end in the square of Luža is the
column of Orlando, a symbol of the freedom of Dubrovnik
(10). Luža Square is a favourite gathering place for tourists
(29) and one of the main areas for hosting various events,
including the major cultural event, the annual Dubrovnik
Summer Festival (11).
Arranged around the Luža Square are the most important
secular buildings of medieval Dubrovnik - a Gothic-Renaissance
Rector's Palace, the centre of the Dubrovnik authorities
(18) and the palace Sponza (26). Both were built in the
15th century, like most of the major buildings in the Old
Town. The Rector's Palace boasts an interesting atrium, a
popular stage for theatrical performances (16). In its interiors
(14), converted into a museum, there is a lot of old
furniture (15), paintings and sculptures (17), and even the
carriages of Dubrovnik nobility (19). The Sponza Palace, a
former customs house and today The Archive of Dubrovnik,
also boasts an interesting atrium (27).
Along the Luža Square stand the main religious buildings of
the Old Town – the Church of St. Vlaho (31), the patron of
Dubrovnik, and the Cathedral of the Assumption (23). Both
are decorated in Baroque splendour since they were built
in the late 17th century, after the disastrous earthquake in
1667. The interior of the Cathedral boasts a magnificent
organ (22) and a number of valuable exhibits of which the
most important is the reliquary head of St. Vlaho (21).
The town core of Dubrovnik has a few monasteries with
rich interiors. The interior of the church within the Jesuit
Monastery is decorated with painted walls (24), while the
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