We offer you a brief description of Dubrovnik sights with photos and wish you to visit this resort to see all its beauty with your own eyes. So, what is there to see in Dubrovnik?
Dubrovnik is one of the famous tourist centers in Croatia, located on the Adriatic Sea. Tourists come here for a great beach holiday and interesting excursions, among them young people, couples with children and the elderly.
Top 15 attractions in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a first-class European seaside resort with an excellent tourist and therapeutic infrastructure, many sights from the Middle Ages and the New Age. Dubrovnik Old Town is on the famous UNESCO list.
The Fortress of Sts. Ivan
This fortress is considered one of the most powerful and largest fortifications in Croatia. It was built by Italian masters in the 16th century, but a couple of centuries was completed and rebuilt. Defended Dubrovnik and Croatia from the sea.
The first fortress tower does indeed look intimidating and impresses with its size. It was to her that warships docked. The remaining towers were completed in the 17th century, they had significant, but less important defense functions.
In the olden days in the fortress of St. John the Baptist. Ivan’s arms and the treasury of the city were kept safe from the enemy. Today there is a real maritime museum, where you can see the rigging of old ships, etc. On the first floor of the fortress is a small aquarium.
The Church of St. John the Baptist. Spas
This Catholic church is located in its historic part of Dubrovnik – in the Old Town, near the Pile Gates, near the Fortress Wall. The temple was erected in gratitude to God after the 16th century earthquake for causing minimal damage.
The Church of St. John the Baptist. The Savior’s Church was built in the Renaissance style, with some Gothic elements in its architecture. It is small and has a beautiful main facade built in the style of Dalmatian Renaissance architecture and a Gothic vaulted nave.
In the 17th century there was another earthquake here. This time there was a lot of death and destruction, but the church was left virtually intact. Today it is inactive, but in high season it hosts classical music concerts and various exhibitions.
Franciscan Monastery
This monastery is an extremely popular attraction of Dubrovnik and a must-see. It was built in the early 14th century and is located in the Old City on the site of the first monastery of this Catholic order.
The monastery was extremely damaged by an earthquake in the mid-17th century and by NATO bombing in the early 1990s during the war in Yugoslavia, but every time its destroyed parts were rebuilt, the monastery continues to live.
Here you can see the fountain, near which there is a statue of St. John the Baptist. Francis, the patron saint of the monastery. Tourists are interested in the pharmacy, where the monks were treated, it is now both a museum and the library, one of the oldest in Croatia.
Onofrio Fountains
In the 15th century, the Croatian government decided to build aqueducts near Dubrovnik. They were built by craftsmen invited from Italy. This is why the aqueducts were named after one of the Italian architects, Onofrio della Cava.
When the aqueducts were completed, Onofrio and his companions additionally built the Great and Small Fountains. The large one is near the Peel Gate and has a dome that was once adorned by a statue of a dragon that disappeared during the 17th century earthquake.
The small fountain is located on the Lodge Square, formerly its main task was to supply the city’s market square, vendors and customers with water. The sculptural parts of the fountain were sculpted by Master Martin, and the mechanism for raising the water was made by Onofrio himself.
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
It is a Catholic cathedral and at the same time a remarkable architectural landmark in the Baroque style. Where the cathedral stands, there were previously several other churches built one after the other since the 6th century.
The previous cathedral was destroyed in a terrible earthquake in the mid-17th century. It was immediately followed by the design of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which was built in Dubrovnik by Italian craftsmen for more than three decades.
Thanks to the masters, the church was built in the classic Italian Baroque style, it still delights parishioners and guests of the city with its beautiful Baroque dome, having safely survived the military siege of Dubrovnik in the early 90s of the 20th century.
Sponza Palace
This is another unique architectural monument of Dubrovnik. The palace was built in the early 16th century in the southern Gothic style with elements of Renaissance architecture. The palace was damaged in an earthquake and took a long time to recover from it.
At first, the Sponza Palace was the official residence of the local duke, but in the early 19th century Napoleon’s troops, led by Marshal Marmont, came to Dubrovnik and eliminated the republican form of government that had existed there.
Under the Republic, the palace also housed the treasury, customs office, bank, and other institutions, and hosted discussions among local intellectuals. Today it is possible to see the historical museum with many valuable documents.
Stradun Square
This is the main street of the Old Town of Dubrovnik. It is about 300 meters long, paved with limestone and designed for pedestrians. Previously, there was a small rivulet that divided Ragusa and Dubrava into two separate cities.
But then the river was drained and the cities were connected. Stradun Street runs along the entire Old Town, connecting the Pile and Ploce Gates, the Small and Great Onofrio Fountains and other historical and cultural sites in Dubrovnik.
If this is your first time in Dubrovnik, you can see for yourself the best local monuments just by walking along Stradun Street. During the war in Yugoslavia, some houses in and around the street were damaged, but later completely rebuilt.
The Church of St. John the Baptist. Vlasia
This ancient Catholic church stands on the Lodge Square in Old Town. It was erected in the early 18th century on the site of a Romanesque church that had been badly damaged by a terrible earthquake in the mid-17th century.
The new temple was under construction for about ten years, designed by an architect from Venice. He ended up with a huge church dome, an elaborately decorated facade with a beautiful staircase, and Baroque architecture.
On the altar of the church is a silver statue of St. John the Baptist. Vlasius (or Vlach) with gilt, after whom it is named. In his hands is a model of the city as it was before the disaster. In honor of this saint, festivals and celebrations are held annually in the church.
City bell tower
It is one of the symbols or business cards of Dubrovnik. The bell tower has not only an ancient bell, but also an equally old clock with a copper dial. It is perfectly visible from the local harbor and conjures up romantic fantasies.
The bell tower of Dubrovnik was built by local craftsmen in the mid-15th century. Its architecture harmoniously intertwines Gothic and Renaissance. The height of the bell tower is more than 30 meters. It was badly damaged by an earthquake in the early 20th century.
The collapsed bell tower was torn down, but protests by the people of Dubrovnik prompted the city authorities to build a new bell tower on the same site, with the same architectural design. Every day at noon rings its ancient bell, delighting residents and tourists.
Lodge Square
This square is in the center of the Old City. Here you can see the best architectural and historical sights of Dubrovnik with or without a guide. It is on this square and stands the famous city bell tower with a clock.
In the center of the Lodge Square in the 15th century there was a column on which the knight Orlando was sculpted. It symbolizes the unity and national independence of Croats. Interestingly, the length of the knight’s arm is recognized as a measure of length in Croatia.
In the square you can see the Great Onofrio Fountain, the old town hall built in neo-Gothic style, and the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Vlasius, as well as the theater and cafe. You can devote a whole day to this place, looking around it, it will be incredibly interesting.
Lokrum Island
This island is located in the Adriatic Sea in the vicinity of Dubrovnik. It was first mentioned in ancient documents in the 11th century. At that time, the monks set up vegetable gardens at Locrum where they grew spicy herbs. At the end of the 18th century they left this island.
From Lokrum you can walk to Dubrovnik by water, the distance is less than one kilometer. There are also boats and boats, carrying tourists. Lokrum attracts them with excellent sandy beaches where you can sunbathe, and a small Dead Lake.
Another local attraction on the island is a small botanical garden with peacocks strolling through it. There is also the Fort of Napoleon, built by French soldiers in the early 19th century, on Locrum.
The Fort of St. John. Lawrence
This fort is located on the outskirts of Dubrovnik. It is a powerful building, standing on steep cliffs and designed to protect the city from the sea and from the land. There are many legends about this fort and the heroism of its defenders.
Historians believe that the Fort of St. John the Baptist is a fortress. The St. Lawrence was built in the 11th century by the people of Dubrovnik wishing to protect the city from Venetian attack from the sea. They wanted to own a city with an important strategic position. But the Croats beat them to it.
The walls of the fort are up to 12 meters thick. He always had a huge arsenal of weapons, some of which can still be seen in the local museum today. The fort has been restored and reconstructed several times, at one time it was a military base.
Minchet Tower
It is the highest point of the Dubrovnik fortress, a symbol of the courage of its inhabitants who fell defending the city from the Turkish armies, and their invincibility before the fiercest enemy. It is also a great place to see the beauty of the city from above.
The tower is rounded and large, making it dominate the fortress and its part of the city. These qualities make the Minchet Tower a virtually indestructible stronghold against the onslaught of enemy forces.
The first version of the tower was built in the early 14th century. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in the mid-15th century, the tower was rebuilt, giving it a round shape, in anticipation of the arrival of Ottoman troops. Soon we had to face the enemy.
Fort Bokar
This fort is not only a powerful, but also a very beautiful fortification. Its architecture follows the style of the Old Town. The task of the fort in the event of an enemy attack is to protect the gates of Pile, to prevent the penetration of foreign troops into the city.
Fort Bokar is a fortress with thick medieval walls and casemates in front of them. Part of the fort is located on a cliff, to which leads a bridge over the abyss, under it even today splashing sea.
The fort began to be built according to the drawings of a Florentine master in the mid-15th century. Construction lasted at least a hundred years, after which the cannons were tested there. In the Middle Ages, long construction was the order of the day, but the fort saved many of the city’s residents.
Revelin Fortress
After neighboring Bosnia fell under the Ottoman yoke, and the risk of Venetian attack on Dubrovnik greatly increased, in the mid-15th century the city was caught in the enemy ring, so a new powerful fortification was needed.
The city’s Senate approved the construction of the Revelin Fortress. Its construction lasted more than 10 years. At this time, the inhabitants of the city did not build anything else at all, concentrating solely on providing their own protection.
Revelin became a strong and reliable fortress, guarding the city from any enemy who came from the east. From the land side, it is protected by a deep moat, over which a bridge spans the eastern part of the city.
How to get to Dubrovnik?
Flight. If Russia is the starting point of the trip, our tourists are more comfortable to arrive in Dubrovnik by plane, because there are many charter flights from Russia to Croatia in high season.
From Moscow, most flights depart from Domodedovo. The flight time is 3 hours and 30 minutes and the ticket costs €184 one way. You can fly with connections, it’s cheaper, but longer. The fastest connections are offered by Aeroflot and Air Serbia.
Transfer to the hotel. The airport in Dubrovnik is called Cilipi, it is located 20 km outside the city. From there you can get to the hotel by tourist shuttles, the ticket price is about €5.38, travel time – 30 minutes.
You can go from the airport to the city by city buses. Ticket price – about €3.76, travel time – 45 minutes. The most demanding tourists can order a cab or rent a car. The cost of a cab is at least €40.
On the ship. Thanks to the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik can be reached from any neighboring city in Croatia or Italian Bari. The journey by sea can take up to 10 hours, depending on the point of departure, and the ticket costs at least €44.
Video overview of Dubrovnik sights
Dubrovnik sights on the map
