Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
some rivals, but all Christian. Dubrovnik sat five miles from the frontier of the Ottoman
Empire;leavingthecityfeltlikeleavingtheknownworldandthesafetyofwhatwe'dtoday
call“WesternCivilization.”Dubrovnikwas,culturallyandspiritually,anislandofEuropean
Christianity surrounded on all sides by something so very different.
Today, you probably feel surrounded on all sides by hordes of international tourists. Th-
ings are worst on days when several cruise ships drop anchor—and when excursions into
town feel more like incursions. But try some attitude adjustment: For much of its history,
the maritime republic of Dubrovnik has been a crossroads of merchants, sailors, and oth-
er travelers from around the world. While today they may be following their tour guides'
numbered paddles rather than trading exotic spices, the legions of visitors are still part of
the city's tapestry of history.
If you're here in the summer (June-Sept), you'll periodically hear the rat-a-tat-tat of a
drum echoing through the streets from the Stradun. This means it's time to head for this
maindragtogetaglimpseofthecolorfullycostumed
“town guards”
paradingthrough(and
acavalcade oftourists runningalongside them, tryingtosnapaclear picture). Youmayalso
see some of these characters standing guard outside the town gates. It's all part of the local
tourist board's efforts to make their town even more atmospheric.
• Branching off from this promenade are several museums and other attractions. At the end
of the Stradun is a passageway leading to the Plo
č
e Gate. Just before this passage is the
lively Luža Square. Its centerpiece is the 20-foot-tall...
Orlando's Column (Orlandov Stup)
Columns like this were typical of towns in northern Germany. Dubrovnik erected the
column in 1417, soon after it had shifted allegiances from the oppressive Venetians to the
Hungarians. By putting a northern European symbol in the middle of its most prominent
square, Dubrovnik decisively distanced itself from Venice. Whenever a decision was made
by the Republic, the town crier came to Orlando's Column and announced the news. The
step he stood on indicated the importance of his message—the higher up, the more import-
ant the news. It was also used as the pillory, where people were publicly punished. The thin
line on the top step in front of Orlando is exactly as long as the statue's forearm. This mark
was Dubrovnik's standard measurement—not for a foot, but for an “elbow.”
• Now stand in front of Orlando's Column and orient yourself with a...
Luža Square Spin-Tour
Orlando is looking toward the
Sponza Palace
(Sponza-Povijesni Arhiv). This building,
from 1522, is the finest surviving example of Dubrovnik's Golden Age in the 15th and 16th
centuries. It'sacombination ofRenaissance (ground-floorarches)andVenetian Gothic(up-
stairs windows). Houses up and down the main promenade used to look like this, but after
