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Dubrovnik Croatia – Pearl of the Adriatic
By Larry and Lilliam Larsen
The view of the ancient city, Old Harbor and crystal clear waters from atop Mount Srd was spectacular. This is
the same (or very similar) view seen by Napoleon and countless other warriors who have fought and conquered
this area of the Adriatic Sea known as Dubrovnik. How they traversed the 1,500 foot high, mostly vertical
landscape was certainly more strenuous than how we arrived on the mountain top. We rode up in the comfort of a modern enclosed cable car with a couple of dozen other tourists.
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Today, the old city is known as one of the 10 best preserved medieval walled cities in the world and also as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old Dubrovnik is surrounded by massive walls that are 1 1/4 miles long in total and
average 19-foot wide. They includes a main curtain wall, 16 towers, three forts, six bastions, two corner forts
(Fort Minceta and Fort Bokar), three bulwarks, three ditches, medieval ramparts, a breakwater and two drawbridges. This construction is considered one of the finest
 accomplishments of medieval planning.
Modern shops and restaurants in the Old City
contrast with the ancient architecture as this is still the home of nearly 1,300 residents. And there is no cost to enter this historic section of Dubrovnik. Two
additional forts can be easily seen from the top of the walls. Lovrjenac Fort, a monumental fortification on a rock 37 meters high, defended the city from
the western coastal side. Fort Revelin just south of the southeast wall also houses the Dubrovnik Virtual Museum & Archaeological Expeditions.
The monumental Fort Imperial with a huge stone
cross standing nearby is located high on the Srd mountaintop overlooking Dubrovnik. Today, it houses a museum display of the Croatian War of Independence with numerous exhibits including
shells that hit the city during the bombardment. The cable car takes visitors to the fort and scenic overview and to our delight, the excellent Panorama
Restaurant. For those young and hardy, you can also reach the fort and overlook by walking or renting an ATV.
We enjoyed the scenic lift via cable car and settling
in for lunch at the open-air restaurant. It was a fabulous experience. Seated outdoors on small platforms cantilevered over the side of the mountain, we were provided a small blanket by the
restaurant to help stay comfortable in the cooler climes. Our cheery server brought our order, fresh seafood, local beer and sumptuous desserts. Larry
and I ordered King Prawns Panorama, with garlic bread, accompanied by a local beer. A friend ordered Risotto with shrimp which was also excellent
. Desserts were "Chocolate Cup Ice Cream" with 2 dips of chocolate and one vanilla and an "Apple Pie a la Mode". Yummm.
The Euro is not widely accepted in Dubrovnik as the local currency is the Kuna. Larger stores and restaurants
accept credit cards, but the smaller shops and vendors only accept local currency. You need to take either a taxi
or a shuttle bus from the cruise port to Pile Square as it's too far to walk to this city center from the ship.
 If traveling by cruise ship, it's impossible to miss the striking Dubrovnik Bridge, joining the two
banks of the Ombla River, the shortest river in the world. With its upward-rising supports/attachments, the modern architectural wonder is a great welcome or farewell to visitors.
For more information on Dubrovnik and Croatia, visit www.experience.dubrovnik.hr and the Croatia National Tourist Board at http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Homepage.
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