Dubrovnik – From a Distance

I have always like the Dobrovnik fortress as it appears classically on post cards and travel books. This impression is reinforced by what George Bernard Shaw once  said about the place,” If you want to see heaven on earth, come to Dubrovnik,  because the beauty there will leave anyone breathless!”

From our hotel, we have a breathtaking view of the classical Dubrovnik fortress, jutting peacefully  into the blue Adriatic sea.

We walked down towards the Dubrovnik beach which at this time of the year was not yet cramped with bathers. As expected, there were many ships visiting Dubrovnik bringing in loads of tourists.

The biggest attraction of this town is its architecture, that is, the walls and towers. Many of the articles about Dubrovnik only talk about the castles and the towers. In fact, no illustration of Dubrovnik will be complete without giving an idea of its environs, viewing it from a distance (horizontally and vertically) before zeroing it onto the walls and castles.

The Srdj hill behind the castle rises steeply from the sea. Instead of taking the cable car, we drove uphill and stopped on the way to have a good look on the seaside which was breathtaking.

The sun was setting, it illuminated parts of Dubrovnik which is just outside the fortress.

Reaching  the top of the hill, we have a fantastic view of the town and the Lokrum island. In contrast to the foreshore town of orange tile roofs, further offshore is  the green wooded Lokrum island. In 1192 King Richard the Lionheart, on his return from the third Crusade,  visited the place and took shelter on the Lokrum island. Out of gratitude to Dubrovnik, King Richard erected the new romanesque cathedral on the island.

Looking further landward was a line of mountains with a beautiful backdrop of the sky.

When evening came, we decided to have dinner up on the hill. We were interested in seeing how the roasted lamb or Brega was being prepared.

It was a delightful dinner with Dalamatian singers playing and singing the local songs.

Going back to the hotel after the dinner, we were so anxious to walk the Dubrovnik fortress and the walls the next day. . . . . . . . .