Dubrovnik and Dalmacija travel guide

Left Dubrovnik Middle Church of Our Lady of Spilica, Kut Right St Mark’s Tower, Trogir
Old Towns
Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast
36
Dubrovnik
Lord Byron’s “Pearl of the
Adriatic” is Croatia’s most famous
set-piece. Encapsulated within
the hulking medieval walls is a
perfectly preserved Baroque citystate,
sandwiched between a
sweep of limestone mountains
to the north and the Adriatic to
the south. Rediscovered by
tourists in recent years, the Old
City can get crowded in summer,
but there’s no disguising its allure
(see pp8–15, 58–66).
Korula Town
This mini-Dubrovnik matches
its more illustrious sibling in
everything but scale. Enjoying its
own rocky promontory, this old
town, carved over the centuries
by the Venetians, still feels like
an oasis not yet well acquainted
with the 20th century, let alone
the 21st. Within its walls lie
churches, seafood restaurants,
and the site where, locals believe,
their most famous son, Marco
Polo, was born (see pp16–17, 92).
Trogir
Set picturesquely on an islet
between the mainland and the
island of iovo, this grand
creation can make a credible
claim for the title of finest
old town on the
Adriatic coast. Trogir’s
unity of design makes
it special, which is
why the locals call it
the “town museum”
(see pp18–19).
Church of Chrysogonus,
Zadar
Split – old and new towns
Split
No staid museum piece,
Split’s old town is a living and
breathing slice of history, formed
around the confines of the
Emperor Diocletian’s palatial
waterfront retirement home,
and adapted over the centuries
by the Spliani (see pp22–3, 25).
Zadar
Neither World War II nor
the bombing of the early 1990s
could dent the spirit of this lively,
bustling town. It may lack the
architectural cohesion of Trogir,
Korula and Dubrovnik, but its
stunning setting – reclining on
its own peninsula in a flurry of
churches, Roman ruins and
pavement cafés – more than
makes up for it (see pp30–31).
Hvar Town
It is easy to see why
Hvar Town is the summer
getaway of choice for
Croatia’s cognoscenti.
The charming old core,
crammed with
Venetian architecture,
sweeps around a wide
Adriatic bay. High up