Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the blog! Today it's cold and rainy in Moscow and it's time to take a road to the sun: let's go to Croatia! Specifically, to Dubrovnik city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Dalmatia.
It is one of the most outstanding tourist destinations on the Adriatic and a big seaport. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has always been based on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, also known as the fifth Maritime Republic, it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Few of Dubrovnik's Renaissance buildings survived the earthquake of 1667 but fortunately enough remain to give an idea of the city's architectural heritage.The finest Renaissance highlight is the Sponza Palace which dates from the 16th century and is currently used to house the National Archives.
Dubrovnik's most beloved church is St Blaise's church, built in the 18th century in honor of Dubrovnik's patron saint. In Dubrovnik St Blaise's feast is celebrated yearly on 3 February, when relics of the saint, his head, a bit of bone from his throat, his right hand and his left, are paraded in reliquaries.
A feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run more than 3 km around the city. The walls run from four to six meters thick on the landward side but are much thinner on the seaward side. The system of turrets and towers was intended to protect the vulnerable city.
The main wall on the landside is 4 metres (13 ft) to 6 metres (20 ft) thick, and, at certain locations, the walls reach up to 25 meters (80 feet) in height. On the landside, the wall is protected with an additional range of slanted supporting walls as defense against artillery fire, especially against possible Ottoman attacks.
The sea walls are 1.5 to 5 meters (5–16 feet) thick, depending on their location and its strategic importance. The purpose of these walls was to help defend the city from sea-based attacks, particularly from the Republic of Venice, which was often considered a threat to Dubrovnik's safety.
Random facts:
~ The annual Dubrovnik Summer Festival is a 45 day-long cultural event with live plays, concerts, and games. It has been awarded a Gold International Trophy for Quality (2007) by the Editorial Office in collaboration with the Trade Leaders Club.
~ The twin towns of Dubrovnik are: Ravenna, Italy; Graz, Austria; Helsingborg, Sweden; Ragusa, Italy; Monterey, CA, United States.
~ The Old Town of Dubrovnik is depicted on the reverse of the Croatian 50 kuna banknote, issued in 1993 and 2002.
Well, that's all for now, I really hope you enjoyed the trip. It is time to set our sails and catch the wind to new, exciting adventure-lands!
Yours,
Michael the Monkey
It is one of the most outstanding tourist destinations on the Adriatic and a big seaport. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has always been based on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, also known as the fifth Maritime Republic, it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries.
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| Simple life in Dubrovnik. |
Few of Dubrovnik's Renaissance buildings survived the earthquake of 1667 but fortunately enough remain to give an idea of the city's architectural heritage.The finest Renaissance highlight is the Sponza Palace which dates from the 16th century and is currently used to house the National Archives.
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The Sponza Palace in the heart of the fortress. |
Dubrovnik's most beloved church is St Blaise's church, built in the 18th century in honor of Dubrovnik's patron saint. In Dubrovnik St Blaise's feast is celebrated yearly on 3 February, when relics of the saint, his head, a bit of bone from his throat, his right hand and his left, are paraded in reliquaries.
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Inside the St Blaise's church. |
A feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run more than 3 km around the city. The walls run from four to six meters thick on the landward side but are much thinner on the seaward side. The system of turrets and towers was intended to protect the vulnerable city.
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| The walls of the fortress and the harbor. |
The main wall on the landside is 4 metres (13 ft) to 6 metres (20 ft) thick, and, at certain locations, the walls reach up to 25 meters (80 feet) in height. On the landside, the wall is protected with an additional range of slanted supporting walls as defense against artillery fire, especially against possible Ottoman attacks.
The sea walls are 1.5 to 5 meters (5–16 feet) thick, depending on their location and its strategic importance. The purpose of these walls was to help defend the city from sea-based attacks, particularly from the Republic of Venice, which was often considered a threat to Dubrovnik's safety.
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| A cute local. |
Random facts:
~ The annual Dubrovnik Summer Festival is a 45 day-long cultural event with live plays, concerts, and games. It has been awarded a Gold International Trophy for Quality (2007) by the Editorial Office in collaboration with the Trade Leaders Club.
~ The twin towns of Dubrovnik are: Ravenna, Italy; Graz, Austria; Helsingborg, Sweden; Ragusa, Italy; Monterey, CA, United States.
~ The Old Town of Dubrovnik is depicted on the reverse of the Croatian 50 kuna banknote, issued in 1993 and 2002.
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| Dubrovnik is a famous port of the Adriatic sea. |
Well, that's all for now, I really hope you enjoyed the trip. It is time to set our sails and catch the wind to new, exciting adventure-lands!
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| From Croatia with love! |
Yours,
Michael the Monkey
I love your trvael blog Michael! Keep on discovering the world.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melissa! Yes, more travels are coming!
ReplyDeleteHi Michael! I went into the post you published on Facebook about your travel blog, and it really captured my eyes when I saw it. You are writing in a very nice way that makes me want to read more. I really love the humor with that stuffed monkey in the header and in Croatia. When I saw the pictures and red what you wrote, it really made me wanting to go there! That's what I think is important about a travelling blog - give tips, tell your opinions about where you traveled and give impressions about the location.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing a fantastic job, and I want you to keep up the good work!
Best wishes, Bjoernar!
Bjoernar, thank you for your great words and the inspiration!!! and yes, Croatia is really worth visiting ;-) Have a wonderful day!
ReplyDelete