We went to the beautiful old city of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO protected World Heritage Site also known as the Pearl of the Adriatic.
Originally called Ragusa, the city of Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century. From the outset, the city was protected by defensive walls. The borderland status of the town was a determining factor in its history. Part of the Mediterranean cultural constellation, yet intimately connected to the Balkans. Catholic yet surrounded by Islamic and Orthodox neighbours.
The period of Austrian dominance saw the early beginnings of tourism in Dubrovnik. Lord Byron on his Grand Tour was said to have called Dubrovnik ‘the Pearl of the Adriatic’. Later, prominent authors like Bernard Shaw and Agatha Christie were dazzled by the perfectly preserved baroque oasis.
The importance of tourism meant that Dubrovnik was put on UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1979. This also meant that it was one of the few places in the former Yugoslavia that were demilitarised as the authorities felt that a military presence was incompatible with the development of tourism.
Due to its historic borderland status, Dubrovnik was significantly affected by the break-up of Yugoslavia. In the early 90s, Greater Serb aggression resulted in Dubrovnik suffering its most serious existential threat. Over two-thirds of the historic town’s buildings were hit by artillery. The town’s cobbled streets were struck by hundreds of direct hits. For the first time in history, the medieval city walls themselves received over a hundred direct hits. Many historic palaces were badly damaged by the resulting fires. The renowned Sponza and Rector’s Palace, St Blaise’s church, the Franciscan monastery and the Amerling and Onofrio fountain all suffered severely.
The Serbian siege of Dubrovnik lasted until June 1992 and its sole purpose was to damage the morale of the Croats during its war of independence. Serbian aggression was similar to the aggression Russia is conducting today in Ukraine. The shocking pictures of the siege on the world television screens and valiant resistance of the Croatian army resulted in the eventual withdrawal of the Serb Army. An international organisation led by UNESCO helped organise a successful reconstruction effort meaning that today Dubrovnik is again back to its former splendour.
It’s been more than 30 years since Dubrovnik was brutally attacked by the Serbian forces, so I took a walk early in the morning within the walls of the reconstructed Old City to see the changes that have been made. And the city looked more beautiful and free than ever before. Usually crowded and filled to the brim with tourists, this morning the only ones I encountered were the pigeons, a wedding couple shouting their photos on the Game of the Thrones staircases and the lazy cats of Dubrovnik.
I hope you will enjoy my walk.
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