DUBROVNIK - Croatia and Slovenia - page 445

[e-mail] ). Pero Carevi ć , who runs the recommended Villa Ragusa
guest house, also drives travelers on excursions (similar prices, mobile [phone],
[e-mail] ).
Ifyourdestination isMostar,likeable Bosniandriver Ermin Elezovi ć willhappilycome
pick you up for less than the Dubrovnik-based drivers (for up to 3 people: €120 for one-
way transfer from Dubrovnik to Mostar with a few brief sightseeing stops en route, €240
forround-triptoMostarwithsame-dayreturntoDubrovnik;forcontactinformationandde-
tails, see here ) .
Recommended local guide Roberto de Lorenzo, listed earlier, also offers guided trans-
fers to Mostar, Sarajevo, Split, and beyond, peppered with historical commentary en route.

Self-Guided Walk

▲▲▲ Strolling the Stradun ▲▲▲

(See “Dubrovnik's Old Town” map, here .)
Running through the heart of Dubrovnik's Old Town is the 300-yard-long Stradun prom-
enade—packed with people and lined with sights. This walk offers an ideal introduction to
Dubrovnik's charms. It takes about a half-hour, not counting sightseeing stops.
• Begin at the busy square in front of the west entrance to the Old Town, the Pile (PEE-leh)
Gate.

Pile Neighborhood
This bustling area is the nerve center of Dubrovnik's tourist industry—it's where the real
world meets the fantasy of Dubrovnik (for details on services offered here, see “Orientation
to Dubrovnik,” earlier). Behind the modern, mirrors-and-LED-screens monument (which
honors the “Dubrovnik Defenders” who protected the city during the 1991-1992 siege) is a
leafy café terrace. Wander over to the edge of the terrace and take in the imposing walls of
the Pearl of the Adriatic. The huge, fortified peninsula just outside the city walls is the Fort
of St. Lawrence (Tvr đ ava Lovrijenac), Dubrovnik's oldest fortress. Imagine how this fort
andthestoutwallsworkedtogethertofortifythelittleharbor—andthegatejustbehindyou.
You can climb this fortress for great views over the Old Town (30 kn, or covered by same
ticket as City Walls on the same day).