Dubrovnik Part 1

August 16th

It's only about 4 km from the campsite to the old town, so we decided to ride our bikes, which turned out to be a good idea because we didn't have any parking problems and didn't have to stick to any bus schedules. However, the ride there and back was not enjoyable. Heavy, stinky car and bus traffic, and nobody wanted to deal with annoying cyclists... we were actually the only ones... tomorrow we'll take the bus.

Arriving at the level of the Minceta Fortress at the upper part of the landward city walls, we already had the first impressive view of the highly praised old town of Dubrovnik.

A staircase led us down to the Pile Gate on the western side. Impressed by the size and depth of the city walls, we entered the interior. Once inside, in the heart of Dubrovnik, we had to stop and marvel at what was right in front of our eyes and the bustling activity in which we had just become a part of. A wide main thoroughfare, starting at the square below us, stretched out like a boulevard in front of us, allowing us to see almost to the other end of the city. Awnings and umbrellas lined the edges, and underneath were plenty of inviting spots to linger and enjoy a meal. The houses and streets are all made of Travertine stone, making them very bright and friendly. The streets shine as if they were wet, but they're just worn smooth by centuries of millions and millions of feet. The city is bustling with tourists from all over the world. There's already a lot of activity on the city walls, which are accessible and allow for a complete tour. We decided to start our sightseeing tour today with this attraction. We had allowed 1.5 hours for it and had seen so much from above that our enthusiasm had already risen significantly. It was scorching hot and sunny, but luckily the tourism industry is well prepared for this... there were shaded oases with cold drinks... top!

The entire historic city center is surrounded by this medieval city wall, which creates the perfect illusion of a well-fortified settlement from a bygone medieval time. Once we returned to the starting point, we delved into the truly inner parts of the city and explored intensively. Our fingers were on fire at the trigger. We broke up our tour today with breaks for ice cream, coffee, and a cool beer to watch the evening buzz at the harbor.

Tomorrow we'll come back for "museum hopping", get the museum card to visit all the interesting historical buildings and museums, and delve even deeper into the history of this unique city.

We're already completely thrilled and looking forward to Part 2 tomorrow.