Dubrovnik, Croatia travel resource.

Dubrovnik,Croatia.

Set on a peninsula jutting into the Adriatic, Dubrovnik has a spellbinding atmosphere that makes it one of our favorite places in central Europe. This medieval walled city is 1,000 years old and an architectural marvel.
Entering its gates is like a step back in time: You cross a wooden bridge past gate towers, wend your way through the inner gate and enter onto the Placa (or Stradun, as it also is known), the gleaming limestone street that runs straight to the entrance gates at the other end of town. Tourists who walk along the Placa seem anachronistic when surrounded by an old town that is so completely untouched by the modern world: The present structure of the city dates from the rebuilding that followed a devastating earthquake in 1667. After a stroll down the Placa, take a tour of the city walls.
Built in the 11th century, the walls are 20 ft/6 m thick in places and provide a gorgeous view of the Adriatic, as well as an unforgettable glimpse of the city they surround: the tiled roofs, the narrow pathways adorned with window boxes, the small orange grove and field of a monastery, anglers at home darning their nets. During your walk along the wall, you can enter an interesting maritime museum and small aquarium built within the St. John fortress.
For the most part, the external damage from the siege of 1991-92 has been repaired. A map at the entrance to the walls of the old city shows the buildings that were shelled: More than half the city's structures were hit. And as you stand on a high point along the wall, you can tell which buildings have been repaired. The new bright-red tile roofs stand out dramatically from the ancient verdigris tiles that escaped damage.
Other sites in the old town include the Dominican and Franciscan monasteries (the Franciscan Monastery contains one of the oldest pharmacies in the world), Rector's Palace, the Bell Tower clock, Orlando's Column and the Rose Square in the Sponza Palace (16th century). Take a look at the statue of St. Blaise, the city's patron saint, over the north city wall and the painting of the saint on display in the Dominican monastery. (In both, he cradles a model of the city. According to legend, it was once used to help reconstruction efforts.) You also can view his relics, including his silver-encased skull, on display in the cathedral.