Walls

Strong, sturdy, protective….Once used as a strategy to keep the enemies at bay and the people alive; the walls of ancient cities are now an enjoyment for the tourists.  We delighted in the defensive ramparts of the great cities and small towns on our European journey.  As expected, parts of the fortresses are original and parts have been rebuilt; primarily to keep the sight seers coming.  Krakow, Budapest, and Prague all have immense fortifications guarding their old cities and they make for a terrific ambience.  We were most impressed though, with the walls we walked in the former Yugoslavia - Ston, Split, Kotar, Belgrade.

  

Nothing, however, compares with the amazing medieval city walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia, the Pearl of the Adriatic.

        

Dubrovnik is without a doubt one of the most picturesque places in Europe and is therefore the destination for many vacationers.  The historic community is situated on a Dalmatian Coast peninsula which juts out into the Adriatic making for a most pleasing location.  We timed our exploration so that no cruise ships were in port that day - very important as they get up to 800 per year.  Count ‘em……that is a boat load! 

What normally is a crowded, one-hour, slow paced, single file journey, we enjoyed and stretched to almost three hours.  Fortunately, we almost had the place to ourselves and we took full advantage.    We saw the ancient masonry construction from every angle and perspective with nary a tourist in sight.

We listened to the walls tell us how for over 500 years, few enemies dared to invade their stout and secure facade.  For centuries, until the invention of gun power, canons and missiles; many people led peaceful lives within their protective watch.  And, with a few exceptions (Napoleon) they slept soundly.  Many conquerors wanted Dubrovnik in their kingdom, so there were wars fought here.  But the fortress was too intimidating for most enemies to penetrate.  The original Dubrovnik community was even recognized by UNESCO in 1979 for it’s beauty and historical importance.  In 1991, however, they took the worse beating in their history.  At that time Croatia became involved with the war between the Serbs and Bosniaks. The walls were useless against the bombs and missiles of the modern Serbian military. 

 

The people of Dubrovnik remained proud however, and after the war ended, they rebuilt the city and the walls into the wonderful, albeit touristy, place it is today.  The old city and her protective shield is a charming home to shops, restaurants, churches, museums, residences, schools, soccer fields, everything you’d expect in a town.  This one just happens to be surrounded by the most astounding stone walls and idyllic body of water.