Dubrovnik, known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, is a city with a unique cultural and political history, which has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979. Dubrovnik was granted sovereignty in the 13th century when the Republic of Dubrovnik, a trade leader in the Mediterranean, was formed. Dubrovnik achieved and kept its freedom of trade trough diplomatic routes, and its fortified city walls and forts.

Nowadays, the strong walls of Dubrovnik are its main tourist attractions, boasting a total length of 2km and a height of 25m - together with the forts and towers. The walls were built between the 12th and the 17th century. The east side of the city is protected by Fort Revelin and the west-side by Fort Lovrijenac. Fort Revelin was built according to a model designed by the Spanish architect Antonio Ferramolina. The fort consists of large and spacious halls that served as the town hall and the town treasury. Across from the for you can find a terrace in the shape of a market square, with a view of the harbour. This is where the Dubrovnik Summer festival is held each year. Fort Lovrijenac is situated on the top of a 40m rock formation. This fort served various purposes in the past, and during World War II it was brought back to its original use, with a sign above the entrance reading " NON BENE PRO TOTO LIBERTAS VENDITUR AURO"- freedom cannot be sold for all the treasures of the world. Nowadays this fort is best known as the perfect location for plays such as Shakespeare's Hamlet during the summer festival.

The Port of Pila is the first entrance to the city from the west. The outside door has the shape of a renaissance arch, and was first built in 1537 as part of the Fort of Pila, only to be later rebuilt in 1937. Above the main entrance you can find a large statue of St Vlaho, the patron saint of Dubrovnik, made by the sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.

Minceta, the most northern of the forts, was named after the aristocratic family Mencetic. It is a large, bullet-shaped tower offering spectacular views of the rooftops of Dubrovnik, the city walls, the sea and surrounding islands. The port of Ploca is de eastern entrance to the city, comparable to the port of Pila with its inner and outer walls and a stone and wooden bridge. Following to the 1667 earthquake, and the ensuing fires, Dubrovnik was left deserted. Nevertheless, the churches and monasteries, the palaces and fountains were eventually restored. During the course of the civil war in the early 1990s, Dubrovnik was in trouble once again. Fortunately, the original beauty and charm of the city was preserved and restored through large-scale restorations with help from around the world and cooperation with UNESCO.

Other sights

The Onofrio Fountain is the end-point of the 12km long city water-supply system, which provided the city with water in 1438. The fountain was named after the Italian architect Onofrio della Cava. The fountain is situated at the beginning of the main street of Stradun. Stradun stretched in an east-west direction between the most eastern and western city ports; it is a favourite walking promenade of the citizens of Dubrovnik.

The Franciscan Monastery was built in the Roman-Greco style. The oldest and most interesting part of the monastery is its hallway, created by the sculptor Mihoje Brajkov from Bari. In the museum of the monastery you can find an exhibition dedicated to the oldest pharmacy in Europe, which was founded there in 1317. The monastery library is in possession of printed and handwritten manuscripts, and is also well known for its historical music collection, which is home to more than 10,000 compositions, making it one of the most important (musical) libraries in Europe.

The court of the Duke was once in use as a public ministry and a private residence of the Duke, who was the head of the local government (Consilium Minus). Foreign Affairs were in the hands of the Senate (Consilium rogatorum), while the legislative power was delegated to the Higher Court(Consilium Maius). The court was built as part of the fort, while the architecture we see today stems from the architect of Naples, Onofrio della Cava.

The Sponza Palace was built approx. one hundred years after the court of the Duke, in a mix of the late Gothic-Renaissance style. It served as a tax and finance office. Nowadays the palace is being used for the archiving of historical documents of the Republic of Dubrovnik. According to a legend, St Vlaho saved the inhabitants of Dubrovnik from Venetian attacks in the 10th century. In honour of him, the citizens of Dubrovnik built a church in the location of a former Roman church. The Church of St Vlaho was built in 1715 in a baroque style and the interior of the church is richly decorated. On the main altar you can find the statue of St Vlaho, a scale model of Dubrovnik which captures the city as it was before the 1667 earthquake. It may be of some interest to note that the statue remained intact when the church was destroyed.

Orlando's column is a stone column depicting an image of the knight of Orlando. The image was crafted from a rock in 1418 by a Milanese sculptor named Bonino, with the help of local sculptors. According to legend, Orlando helped the 8th century inhabitants of Dubrovnik defend themselves against attacks by pirates.

The Summer Festival of Dubrovnik holds a special place in the cultural life of Dubrovnik and has been held on open podiums since 1950 (opposite the St Vlaho cathedral, Fort Lovrijenac Fort Revelin and the island of Lokrum) or in authentic halls (for example, in the court of the Duke or the Sponza Palace). During the Dubrovnik International Film festival the city is host to famous directors, actors, musicians and other visitors from the whole world.