Dubrovnik, Croatia

All of Croatia is INCREDIBLE!  It is seriously the most amazing place!  There is so much natural beauty and history, it is untainted and non-commercialized, and it gives you the ability to see what the country and the world looked like hundreds of years ago.  This coast is filled with old red roofed towns hidden behind stone walls and navigated through on cobble streets.  Tons of islands are scattered around the coastline and the Adriatic Sea has an unbelievable calmness and vivid color to it.  I knew from pictures and a few friends that it was the most beautiful place, but seeing it first hand brought tears to my eyes a few times and I am sad to have only had one week to explore this place.

I started my visit to this wonderful country in Dubrovnik, on the south end, nestled between Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina.  Here, the cliffs meet the sea and beaches are hidden in little coves along the way.  The Dubrovnik Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and dates back to the 10th century.  The city walls surround the old town and are 6m thick in some places and 2.5m high and you can walk along them to admire the views of the Adriatic sea and symmetry of the red roofs within them.  A word I often heard to describe it is "majestic."  

While walking along the walls, you can explore the two towers and two forts, little gardens outside some of the homes, chapels scattered throughout the town, and the character of the curvy cobblestone streets and buildings.  I chose to use an audio guide as I walked around the perimeter and the history behind the entire city is one of the most interesting things I have learned on my travels.  One fun fact was that when people moved to Dubrovnik, each person was required to bring a stone with them to help build the city and protect it from invaders.   Stories of the most recent war and the affects it had on Dubrovnik and the rest of Croatia were also included in the guide. 

I took several hours to get lost in the Old Town, wandering through the cobble streets, stopping at shops and a couple cafes.  The people here are so friendly and Dubrovnik had such a relaxed atmosphere.  Everywhere I looked while exploring the area, I saw beautiful things.  Some of the most amazing sunsets I have seen were here too and I was so impressed with all of the natural beauty.

Views From My Hotel:

City Walls:

Old Town: