Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 154

You can break for a cold drink or coffee
and sit at tables facing the square or go
inside and grab a spot on the terrace over-
looking the Old Harbor. The To w n
Theater is also in this building. The
Venetian-Gothic Rector's Palace (p. 149)
is adjacent to the Gradska Kavana com-
plex fronted by pillars made of marble
from Kor c ula and topped with interesting
carvings. The interior is used for summer
concerts.
Exit the Rector's Palace and turn left:
! Dubrovnik Cathedral
Note the minimalist gray marble altar
that was installed when Roman Catholi-
cism ruled that the priest should face the
people during Mass. Its block style is
incongruent with the rest of the church's
baroque design. Don't miss the church
treasury, which is loaded with priceless

relics, including the skull of St. Blaise and
a piece of the True Cross (p. 149).
Exit the cathedral and walk around to the rear
and walk up Androvi5eva to the Jesuit Steps and
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola (p. 150) or turn left
and walk past the Rector's Palace to return to
Luza Square.
@ St. Blaise Church
This 18th-century baroque church
(p. 149) is a tribute to Dubrovnik's
patron saint. Inside, the altar is the main
draw with its statue of the saint holding a
model of the city of Dubrovnik as it was
before the 1667 quake. Outside, the
church's wide steps are a popular rest-
ing/meeting place for tourists.
From St. Blaise you can either return to the Pile
Gate and inspect the shops along the south side
of the Stradun, explore what you've just seen in
greater depth, or venture up the steep side
streets to discover more sights between the
Stradun and the walls.

SHOPPING
You won't need to worry about going over your Customs limit when shopping in
Dubrovnik. There are few stores that offer anything uniquely Croatian, and those that
do are often overpriced. Goods from Stradun shops are especially costly, so stick to
shops on the side streets and limit yourself to souvenir shirts and costume jewelry. If
you just can't go home empty-handed, consider a bottle of wine from Vina Mili c i 5 on
the Stradun ( & 020/321-777; open daily 9am-8pm) or a piece of hand-embroidered
linen from Tilda at Zlatarska 1 ( & 020/321-554) . History buffs will want to visit
War Photo Limited at Antuninska 6 ( & 020/322-166; open daily 9am-9pm), a
source for limited-edition prints of scenes from the 1991 war and other conflicts.
Don't forget the Duty Free Shop at Dubrovnik Airport ( & 020/333-773 ), where
you can get almost everything available in town without paying tax.
DUBROVNIK AFTER DARK
Dubrovnik's after-hours scene has an early and a late shift. From about 8 to 11pm the
common activity for babes-in-arms to seniors is strolling the Stradun with an ice-
cream cone. But at 11, there's a changing of the crowd as the early birds file out and
18- to 20-somethings flow in, dressed in outfits that rival the costumes worn in a
Busby Berkeley musical. Follow the throbbing music blaring from jampacked side
streets where nightly block parties convene after the restaurants close and you'll expe-
rience Dubrovnik cafe society's second shift.
For a disco experience, try Latino Club Fuego outside the Pile Gate at Pile Brsalje
11, open daily 10pm to 4am; or Labirint Night Club at Ulica Sv. Dominika bb
( & 020/322-222 ), open daily 10pm to 4am. There's also the Night Club Revelin in
the Revelin Fortress at the wall ( & 020/322-164 ), which was the “in” place of the