Beautiful turquoise water surrounds the Old Town section of Dubrovnik, Croatia, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Only after a severe rain storm the prior day were the waters stirred up enough to create the turbulence for the turquoise water appearance.

 

A Walk Around the Walled Old Town of Dubrovnik

My previous posting on Mostar and Sarajevo covered enough of the wars of this region, so here we will concentrate on a touristy walk along the ancient walls of the city.  However, here in Dubrovnik there was a similar siege during the Bosnia War in 1991.  There was no military to defend Dubrovnik, since it was a World Heritage site with no military importance.  The world was apparently shocked at the bombings.

Views from the Wall

The main attraction in Dubrovnik is the walled off Old Town section.  Entrance to this area is free and full of fine shops and restaurants.  The $22 fee per person is for the steep stairs to the top of the wall and to walk around the huge wall encircling the old city.  It is from this walkway I captured the photo above of Fort Lovrijenac, built in the 11th century.  It is often called “Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar.”

I  went on this walkway several times to try and get the right conditions for the photo at the beginning of this blog.  But the views are great at any time.  The walkway is not always so narrow, but at times is 50 feet wide, enough for a restaurant and a bar.

The same fort, “Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar,” is visible in the distance from this bar.

 

 

The pomegranate juice would likely be more inviting on a hot day, but it was cool jacket weather during our stay here.  Pomegranate trees grow wild along the roadways of southern Croatia.

 

On several days cruise ships could be seen in this harbor.

 

 

It was apparent that some of the roofs were newer.  Some of the houses had only half of their roof replaced.  Initially is seemed to me that it was nice they were maintaining their property.  In reality, most of the newer looking roofs were due to repairs after the aerial bombings.

 

Dining in the Old Town

Overall, Croatia gets my ‘Tidy Country’ award.  Croatia was just cleaner than the rest of Eastern Europe.  Still, the abundance of outdoor cats would require caution.  As long as the weather permitted, everyone wants to eat outside, no matter how narrow the walkways.  Above is a 180 degree panorama view taken with an iPhone showing the cobble stone walkways.

Next stop, the picturesque Kotor, Montenegro.