Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WALKING TOUR
DUBROVNIK'S STRADUN
Start:
Brsalje Square outside the Pile Gate, the west entrance to Old Town.
Finish:
St. Blaise Church/Luza Square.
Time:
Anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how much time you spend
exploring side streets, in churches and museums, shopping, or dining.
Best Times:
Mornings from 8am to noon before the sun is overhead; Evenings after 6pm and
until the last bar closes. This when the promenade starts and segues into a fash-
ion show for the young and beautiful.
Worst Times:
Noon to sundown or whenever the temperature rises above 95°F (35°C).
Walking around the top of Dubrovnik's wall is a stroll no visitor should miss, but once
you've made the circuit, you'll realize that there's much more to Dubrovnik than the
red-tile roofs visible from the ramparts. A walk up and down both sides of the Stradun
is an ideal way to become acquainted with the city's charms. Old Town's smooth lime-
stone path originally was a canal separating Old Ragusa from the mainland and walk-
ing its length is a good way to get your bearings and become familiar with the
attractions between the Pile Gate and the Plo
c
e Gate. There is a high concentration
of important sites on and just off the Stradun, and the pedestrian thoroughfare is
always crowded. Lots of narrow side streets radiate up and out from the Stradun and
intersect with cobbled streets that are packed with religious sites, historic architectural
spots, shops, restaurants, a few courtyards, and even some residences.
across a wooden drawbridge that once was
pulled up each night to protect the city.
Note the statue of St. Blaise carved into a
niche above the opening of the 16th-cen-
tury outer gate and another statue of the
city's patron (by
Ivan Me
s
trovi
5
) inside
the even older (15th-c.) inner gate. Occa-
sionally musicians and vendors hang out
in the courtyard between the gates to
catch people on their way out.
Step through the inner gate and stop a moment
to orient. Walk through and note:
3
Onofrio's Large Fountain &
the Wall Walk Entrance
Walk inside the Pile Gate and to the left
you'll see a steep stairway that leads up to
the
Min
c
eta Tower
at the top of the wall
(see p. 147 for details). This is one of
three access points to the wall. To the
right is
Onofrio's Large Fountain,
a tall
concrete dome that during the Middle
Ages was a collection point for water that
flowed into the city from the
Dubrovnik
River
12km (7
1
⁄
2
miles) away via an aque-
duct. The fountain was more ornate
Start your tour outside the Pile Gate in Brsalje
Square next door to the Atlas Travel Agency and
between the Nautika restaurant and Dubravka
Kavana cafe:
1
Brsalje Square
Rendezvous in this leafy park, but before
you enter Old Town, walk away from the
street to the low balustrade. You'll have an
unobstructed view of the sea and
Fort
Lovrijenac
to the right and the 16th cen-
tury
Bokar Fortress
to the left. Lovrijenac
is built on a high, rocky peninsula that juts
into the sea and it is Dubrovnik's oldest
defensive structure. These days it is used as
a theater for Shakespearean productions
and for performances during
Dubrovnik's
Summer Festival.
Croatian native and tel-
evision star Goran Vi
s
ji
5
of
ER
fame is a
frequent performer there. Bokar was used
as a prison in the 19th century.
Return to the street, turn right, and approach
the:
2
Pile Gate
This is the busiest portal to Old Town
and it is really two gates you approach
