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The city of Dubrovnik/Ragusa was based on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages it became the only city-state in the Adriatic to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development during the 15th and 16th centuries. Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the centers of the development of the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists and other scholars.

Get in

By plane Dubrovnik airport is located about 20km to the south of the city. There are flights from Zagreb for circa 60 EUR round trip including taxes. It is also possible to catch flights to Dubrovnik from many of the low cost Central European carriers such as Sky Europe. Hapag Lloyd Express is flying from Stuttgart, Hanover and Munich to Dubrovnik. As of April 19 2006 Estonian Air is flying every Wednesday and Saturday from Dubrovnik to Tallinn. SN Brussels Airlines connects Dubrovnik with Brussels twice per week (on Monday and Friday) between April 28 2006 and September 29 2006. Flights are also often available to Paris-Charles De Gaulle and London-Gatwick. From the airport, taxis are available but not inexpensive. Bus service to the Old City is available through Atlas, but the drop-off location is in the Old City, and most hotels are not within walking distance from that drop-off location, especially with luggage. Taxis at the drop-off location, especially when the cruise boats are docked (almost every day in the summer), are nearly impossible to obtain.

By train There is no train to Dubrovnik, although you can take a train to Split during tourist season and then travel by bus to Dubrovnik.

By car You can use transfer service by car or van (8+1) Kompas Rent a Car [1] or Queen Service Dubrovnik [2]. Driving in Croatia can be quite difficult as there is no highway from Split to Dubrovnik, yet. However, if one is careful and not in a rush to arrive, it can be a beautiful journey along the coastal roads through small quaint villages and other tourist destinations, just know that in the summer months the trip is likely to take several hours longer than anticipated.

By bus It is a fairly long journey but it is possible to take a bus directly from Zagreb. Alternatively if you are already on the Dalmatian coast buses run directly from Split to Dubrovnik, a journey which takes 4 and a half hours and costs upwards of 90kn, depending on the operator. As well there is international bus service to and from destinations such as Trieste, Italy, but, in general, you are better of either renting a car and driving down or catching a flight as buses are usually even less comfortable than planes and the trip is often long and much less scenic than can be experienced by a nice drive along the coast.

By boat Jadrolinija run ferries down the coast from Rijeka. Calling at Zadar, Split, Stari Grad, Korcula and Sobra on the way. Journey time is up to twenty hours, so getting a cabin is highly recommended. The restaurant serves up some decent food at surprisingly reasonable prices, but bear in mind that the 22% tax is not included on the menu. There is nothing in the way of entertainment, so bring some entertaining company or a good book, although the journey is scenic and it is possible to entertain oneself simply marvelling at the natural beauty of the coast.

Get around The old town is completely pedestrianised and easily small enough to get around on foot - some of the streets are a little steep, though! If you are not staying in the Old Town its relatively simple to catch just about any bus as just about every one leads to the Old Town; however, it is still best to consult a timetable of bus arrivals/departures which will help you be sure that you are in fact catching the right bus. It costs 8kn (just over 1 euro) for one ticket, valid for 1hr.

See Inside the Church of St. IgnatiusChurches Franciscan Monastery - Baroque Church housing a beautiful Romanesque cloister and the third oldest pharmacy in the world Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - supposedly the original church had been build from money donated by Richard the Lionhearted who survived shipwreck on his way home from the Third Crusade, while the current Roman Baroque cathedral dates from the 18th Century Church of Saint Blaise (Crkva Svetog Vlaha) - Baroque Church dedicated to the city's patron saint Church of St. Ignatius and the Jesuit College - beautiful baroque church located on a small hill within the old city Dominican Monastery Other Attractions Roland's Column - slender stone flag staff of the legendary knight Bell Tower Sponza Palace - Gothic Renaissance palace, one of the few buildings that has maintained its form from before the catastrophic 1667 earthquake Rector's Palace - formerly the palace of the Major Council, now housing a museum dedicated to the city's history Dubrovnik was heavily bombed by the Montenegrin Navy during the war (1992 to 1995). Almost all of the damage has been covered over but if you look closely around the old town you can still see the damage from mortars in the cobblestone streets and bullet marks in the stone houses.

Do View of the CityDubrovnik Summer Festival [3] - music and theatre festival held since 1950 from 10. July to 25. august. Walk down the Stradun and enjoy a drink at a cafe on the main through fair of the old town Dubrovnik Film Festival [4] - film festival held from May 31 to June 4 Libertas Dubrovnik Film Festival [5] - film festival held from 25.-30. of August Julian Rachlin and Friends Festival [6] - festival of chamber music Walk the city walls. The main entrance to the city walls is near Pile Gate. Visit the Fortress Lovrijenac - It was an essential fortification to the defense of the city from both ground and sea attacks. In order to prevent possibly mutiny by the commander of the fortress, the walls facing the city are only 60 cm thick compared to those exposed to enemy fire which were 12m thick!. Above the entrance to the fortress is an inscription that says "Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro" which translates to "Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world" Climb Mt. Srd - This 412m (1350') peak has excellent views of the city of Dubrovnik, the harbor, and the Dubrovnik Highlands region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The top of the hill has a modern radio tower, some older fortifications damaged in the war, and a memorial to some of the war dead. Take a ferry to Lokrum, which houses a monastery, a fort with great views of Dubrovnik, botanical gardens, and a naturist beach.