When I was a child, I would envision images of magical medieval cities as my mother read nighttime stories to me. The Dubrovnik walking tour on top of Dubrovnik’s Ancient City Walls was like stepping back into that enchanted past and was beyond a doubt the highlight of my visit to that history-filled medieval walled city.
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Dubrovnik quickly became my favorite city in Europe! Not only is it a magical city surrounded by ancient walls, but there are so many fantastic Croatia day trips from Dubrovnik.
The thick stone walls that surround Dubrovnik’s Old Town overlook a vibrant, contrasting panorama of terracotta-tiled rooftops juxtaposed against the Adriatic Sea, as well as palaces, monasteries, and a bell tower.
Our young guide, Marko, was remarkably well-versed in Dubrovnik’s history, relating it in such an animated way as to hold the entire group spellbound as we entered through the Pile Gate, and then ascended the steep, narrow alley of steps called “the endless staircase.”
“The defensive walls were begun around the 12th century, but not completed until the 17th century,” Marko informed us, pointing out the forts, towers, and turrets located at strategic points in the 1.25 mile (2 km) expanse. “It is one of the largest, most complex and complete in all of Europe.” Indeed, I already knew that exploring the walls is just one of a multitude of things to do in Dubrovnik.
We stopped at many points along the wall, each time to listen to a different portion of Dubrovnik’s (formerly called “Ragusa”) history – the Venetian occupation, the negotiation and subsequent expedient political relationship with the Ottoman Empire, and of course, the devastating Yugoslav war of the early 1990s. While the Old Town has been lovingly restored according to UNESCO standards after the heavy shelling of the war, you can still see the different colors in the roof tiles signifying the old and new. The city was spared from the massive destruction that many other cities in the former Yugoslavia suffered, mainly because of the protection offered by the ancient walls. They did their job well, in ancient as well as recent history.
The most recognizable and prominent part of the wall is the round Minceta Tower, which looks like the quintessential medieval castle. We clambered up an even narrower and steeper staircase to get a bird’s eye view of the Old Town, and Adriatic port.
Our Dubrovnik walking tour continued along the wall until we came to Fort Bokar which was once used as a prison and is one of the oldest buildings of its kind in Europe. From this portion of the wall, there is a stunning view of the fortress of Lovrijenac, separated from Old Town by the Adriatic Sea. The fort stands sentry on a high craggy cliff, protecting Old Town from attack by both sea and land
“You’ll notice that there are homes situated in some places along the wall,” Marko pointed out as we passed houses so close, you could almost touch their outer walls. “It’s a way of life for these people, living with this lack of privacy. To them, it is worth it to live in such a significant place.”
The city can get very hot, and the walk around the walls is totally exposed to the sun, so early morning or late afternoon Dubrovnik walking tour is recommended.
This story about Dubrovnik’s ancient walls first appeared in Viator.
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About the Author
Patti Morrow is a freelance travel writer and founder of the award-winning international blog Luggage and Lipstick and southern travel blog Gone to Carolinas. TripAdvisor called her one of “20 Baby Boomer Travel Bloggers Having More Fun Than Millennials.” Patti is the author of the book “Girls Go Solo: Tips for Women Traveling Alone,” and has over 150 bylines in 40 print and online publications, including The Huffington Post, International Living Magazine, Washington Post Sunday Travel, Travel Girl, Travel Play Live Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. She has traveled six continents looking for fabulous places and adventure activities for her Baby Boomer (and Gen X!) tribe.
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