2009 05 31 Dubrovnik, Croatia

At its peak, Dubrovnik was a successful competitor of Venice and one of the most prosperous commercial powers in the world. The disintegration of the Roman Empire allowed barbarian tribes to raid and pillage settlements along the coast. Refugees and survivors fled to off-shore islands where they could better defend themselves.

Sometime around the year 639 the Avars sacked the Greco-Roman town of Epidaurum. Fugitives found their way to this small rocky island attempting to preserve their former way of life. Early fortifications were crude and their ships were small, but they survived nicely.

In 1667 a terrible earthquake destroyed the city and killed over 4,000 - more than half of the population. For six centuries Dubrovnik was an independent republic ruled by patrician families. The Republic was overthrown by Napoleon in 1808 and formed part of the Austrian empire. Dubrovnik was passed to the new state of Yugoslavia after WW I and in 1991 was broken apart in a violent, but brief civil war resulting in full independence for Croatia.

Of all the lovely towns along the Dalmatian coast, Dubrovnik may very well be the most picturesque. The city walls were completed in the 13th century. They encircle old Dubrovnik with a circumference of more than a mile and a half. The 14th-century monastery boasts cloisters in Romanesque and Gothic styles and has one of the finest manuscript libraries in Europe. It also has a fine collection of Renaissance art which includes frescoes by Veneziano and a painting by Titan. The 14th-century Pharmacy displays apothecary jars, medical books, healing recipes and works of gold and embroidery. The pharmacy is considered to be the oldest working pharmacy in Europe.

The seaside resort of Cavtat has been a favorite stop for the yachting set and England's Edward VIII and Wallace Simpson spent their honeymoon there.



Dubrovnik's location on the Adriatic sea provides the area with excellent seafood and shellfish. Known for its grape-laden vineyards, Croatia is known for its fine wines. Reds are Teran, Cabernet and Merlot; whites are coastal Pinot Malvazija, Kujunduuoa, and White Muokat.