Day 128b: Trebinje - Dubrovnik

Aug 9 - Upon arrival in the Lapad district, dump the bags and head immediately to the Pile Gate, which is the primary entrance to the walled old city of Dubrovnik. There is a convenient local bus from near our apartment, but of course they are so full of tourists that we are obliged to get on the second one due to overcrowding.

Quick history of Dubrovnik. Unlike nearby Split, it was not originally fortified by the Romans, but began its existence as a walled refuge for coastal people from attacks by Slavs from the interior. Part of what is now the old city was originally an island, but the channel separating it from the mainland was eventually filled in. It slowly developed as an independent trading port, becoming the Republic of Ragusa from the 14th to the 19th Centuries (Dubrovnik, a much more Slavic-sounding name, was also used from early on). It did practice some basic autonomy for trading matters, though it was always forced to pay tribute to the whichever powerful kingdom happened to close by, whether that be Venice, Hungary, or the Ottomans. The dominant religion was Catholicism, thus was more in line with Croats living north along the coast, than it was with the Orthodox Serbs living immediately inland.

It was hit by a devastating earthquake in 1667 that destroyed much of the Renaissance architecture. It ceased being a trading power by the 1800’s for the same reasons Venice lost its prominence. In a sense it was revived by its old architecture and beautiful surroundings, as it became a tourist attraction already by the 1800’s. Some famous personalities, such as Lord Byron and Agatha Christie, sang its praises. The economic potential of this tourism gave the city a special status during the Yugoslavian years as a demilitarized zone, as the regime did not want visitors to see armed soldiers sulking about.

The city’s greatest suffering was during the war in 1991 and 1992, when ethnic Serbs shelled it from the mountains, seemingly for no other reason than to demoralize the Croats (as the city was still demilitarized). As such, a great many structures, especially rooves, have been repaired or reconstructed since.

This map gives an idea of the extent of damage from the 1991 shelling.

A view of the western side, with the old city walls to the left.

Today we see Odette’s Grandma! After a lot of coordination over the past two months, we found a way to meet up with her and her friend Ray, who are halfway through a cruise to Italy and some destinations on the Adriatic. We coincide in Dubrovnik only today from late morning to late afternoon.

When we get to Pile Gate, they are waiting, so we all go inside and walk around the old city for a while.

Pile Gate was and still is the main entrance to the old city. The bridge leading to it is stone, but was originally a wooden drawbridge. The statue above the gate is of St. Blaise.

The tourist conga line. I’ve read that recently the city is proposing a daily cap on the number of visitors (you would need to reserve a four hour time slot in advance) to keep the total at any point in time below 10,000.

Many water fountains dot the walkways of the city, and some of them work. The above photo is from Onofrio’s Fountain.

Church of St. Salvation, one of the fortunate structures, in Gothic and Renaissance style, that survived the 1667 earthquake and the 1991 shelling by the Serbs.

St. Blaise’s Church, in Baroque style. St. Blaise was identified by medieval Slavs as an equivalent to their pagan god Veles, and was/is the patron saint of the city.

Interior of St. Blaise’s Church.

Tourists are required to touch the nose of Marin Držić, a Croatian playwright and writer (1508-67), but fortunately you don’t have to pay.

Interior of the Church of St. Ignatius.

Entrance to Collegium Ragusinum, a Jesuit college open from 1658-1773, and closed when the order was suppressed. It is considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture on the Dalmatian coast, and was featured in Game of Thrones.

Grandma and Ray, enjoying one of the many long stairways in the old city.

We did sit for some time at a café and visited with family. It was a great opportunity for Odette to talk at length with someone else besides her parents. This may be our only chance to see family for a year, so even a few hours was precious.

Yes, they really only sell rubber ducks in this store.

The Old Pharmacy of Dubrovnik. It does have a small operating office, and is the third oldest in Europe. There is also a museum here with a number of relics (mostly the bones of saints encased in metal arms and legs).

The garden in the center of the pharmacy complex.

There were a lot of random signs and carvings in the stone walls.

A view of the city walls and the southwest tower. You can walk the walls all around the old city, for the low price of about US$ 35/person. The tower of the Franciscan Church in the foreground (under which is included the grounds of the Old Pharmacy).

We see off Grandma and Ray at the bus stop, and we head back to Lapad for dinner.

Croatia II Bosnia and Herzegovina