Dubrovnik's Splendid Stradun

Advantages: Fascinating Walkway through Medieval Dubrovnik
Disadvantages: Can be Hard Work in July and August

...Dubrovnik, a Unesco World Heritage Site, has now fully recovered from the bitter Serbian and Montenegrin siege of 1991-92 and has been restored to its former splendour. This remarkable former city-state has in its historic centre perhaps the most attractive and well preserved Baroque core of any European city, its swathe of churches, palaces and old stone houses neatly contained within the stone walls that have protected it for centuries. The city is sandwiched between a sweep of limestone mountains to the north and the azure waters of the Adriatic to the south. Lord Byron named it ' the pearl in the Adriatic,' and Bernard Shaw said, " Those that seek paradise on earth should seek it in Dubrovnik." Praskipark on numerous occasions has named this city as,' the jewel in Croatia's crown.' All great cities are described using cliches but...

Praski 08.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Placa Thoroughfare (Stradun), Dubrovnik

Pension Stankovic, Dubrovnik

Advantages: magnificent view
Disadvantages: you must climb a lot of steps

...I visited Pension Stankovic, Dubrovnik in the spring of 2009. We spent tree days in Dubrovnik an It is not easy to find the house We arrived in Dubrovnik in the evening. We were tired and it was dark. The navigation system showed us a road which was forbidden for the car. I get out of the car, took the navigation system in my hands and started to follow the commands. I was really surprised when I saw that to reach the address I had to climb at least 100 steps. I didn't have any choice and I climbed the steps. After climbing all the steps, I understood that this was not the right street. I went down and I tried the next street with the same number of steps... :-) After the third try I found the street which was at least 200 steps far of the car. At the end we found the address and we parked in fornt of the house in front...

nadia71 27.10.2009 (28.10.2009) · Read review
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Review of Pension Stankovic, Dubrovnik

  DUBROVNIK THE CITY OF FREEDOM AND BEAUTY

Advantages: everything here is advantage
Disadvantages: not too many places to go out after midnight

...The legacy "Freedom is not to be sold even for all the gold in the world", states the sign at the entrance of Lovrijenac, the monumental, self-supported fortress, raised upon a rock that is 37 meters high, above Dubrovnik Old Town. The fortress made in 14th century, though there are indicators it was made in 11th century, a true protector from invader attacks for centuries. The same statement was at the Libertas flag flown on ships from Dubrovnik on Argosy ships, a merchant ships also mentioned by Shakespeare. This is the politics of Dubrovnik ever since, even for today. Dubrovnik never was and never is a town and place that will trade freedom for gold. Invaded by many invaders through centuries the City of Dubrovnik always remains the same. While entire Balkan Area went through wars and always has been invaded by different invaders...

barefoot777 11.07.2005 (13.02.2006) · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

DUBROVNIK - A BEAUTIFUL CITY

Advantages: Beautiful scenery, short flight times
Disadvantages: hotel food is not of a high standard

...I have visited Dubrovnik twice, staying in both a 3 star hotel and a 5 star hotel. The hotel's are spotlessly clean, although generally sparsely furnished. There are few hotels in the Old Town itself, and most hotels are found on the Lapad peninsula. Hotel food is not of a high standard, and I would recommend staying bed and breakfast, and eating in Dubrovnik Town, where there are plenty of good restaurants, with reasonable prices. Buses from the Lapad peninsulka (3-5 kms) from Dubrovnik Town are plentiful and cheap. A "must" is a walk around the City Walls, although best done early morning before the mid-day heat! You look across the ocean and over all the beautiful roofs many of which have been rebuilt, having been heavily bombarded during the war. The cathedral is interesting as is the different architecture. There is...

TRINA007 05.10.2003 · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Pearl of the Adriatic

Advantages: Attractive, unique city
Disadvantages: Gets very busy in mid-summer.

...Dubrovnik, in Croatia, is sometimes referred to as the Pearl of the Adriatic. The most delightful way so come across this medieval city is by cruise ship across the Adriatic. An early morning vista of white walls and terracotta roofs in the morning sun is a sight that will not be forgotten by any lucky enough to witness it. I was entranced as I gazed out from our balcony as we passed the city to enter the port. Background This peaceful looking gem suffered terribly in the 1990s when an attack by the Yugoslav army laid siege to the city for over 6 months. The occupants were trapped within the medieval walls and bombarded by shelling from the hills overlooking the city. There was no electricity of communication in the city itself. It is difficult to imagine the extent of the damage that was done as there has been a great...

Meggysmum 25.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Glittering Jewel of the Balkans

Advantages: Beautiful, historic, no "lager louts", reasonable prices
Disadvantages: Very hot, lots of tourists, not easy to get there

...My sister and I arrived in Dubrovnik after a 24 hour long ferry trip in the summer of 2004. It wasn't the best introduction we could have had to the historic town. Cobbled streets, sunburned shoulders and heavy luggage don't mix well. Luckily though, the Croatians we came across while searching for our accommodation were welcoming and helpful. We must have heard the phrase "enjoy your stay in Dubrovnik" a hundred times in our short stay. Unsurprising considering that tourism is now the city's foremost form of income. Following the break up of Yugoslavia and the Balkan conflict, people have been flooding back into Dubrovnik to appreciate all it has to offer. Before the war, Croatia was a popular holiday resort, famed for its beautiful coastline and cheap prices. George Bernard Shaw, Prince Charles, and Margaret Thatcher have...

MissDirect 03.10.2004 (30.10.2007) · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Ragusa Rises again

Advantages: Beautiful old city and islands, sunny climate
Disadvantages: Croatian music tastes lag behind.

...Ragusa was the name of the old city state of Dubrovnik which existed for 7 centuries before being dissolved by Napoleon. Now, 12 years after it was wantonly attacked by the Yugoslav army and Serb and Montenegrin irregulars, it has become a popular holiday destination. Although the war damage was extensive, everything was quickly repaired. The only way you can really tell of what happened is that the red roofs of the 17th century old town look suspiciously new! Dubrovnik is set snugly against the karst (mountainous) coast of Croatia. On the lower slopes, cypresses and pines give shelter to the town. And wherever there is a bit of coast that looks like as if it can make a beach, people use it. At the Old Harbour pier you can see people diving off and why not! At this time of year, the Adriatic is warm and very easy swimming although...

blinderben 03.07.2003 · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Ok its not Ibiza but its unique

Advantages: Warm, summy medditeranean climate
Disadvantages: No sandy beaches

...The idea of Croatia, or indeed the Balkans as a holiday destination may sound absurd to you, but much to my surprise it is perfect. I visited Dubrovnik, a small city right in the south of Croatia. Dubrovniks old town is sometimes described as a living medievil museun, indeed it is spectacular, however if you are looking for night-life this is probably not the destination for you! There are a fair number of bars but not many clubs, and the few there are, in my experience close absurdly early. However the culture in the city is great, everywhere that you turn there is a museum. The shopping is minimal, and infact when i asked a local where they went to shop for clothes and such the like, she replied, Italy! However the food on option is good and locally grown. Eating in Dubrovnik is certainly ane experience! The food is not really...

laurievantruc88 01.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Compact Guide to Croatia

Advantages: Compact size and waterproof cover
Disadvantages: Disjointed and hard to find information.

...I am the sort of person who enjoys planning for their holiday. I love researching our destination and I devour as much information as I can before I go as I find that if I am knowledgeable about a place I enjoy myself much more. Embarking on a cruise last year was my idea of heaven as it gave me ample opportunity to research lots of different places. One of our ports of call was Dubrovnik and it soon became apparent that this would be a suitable destination for an independent sightseeing tour. I read quite a bit on the internet but decided that taking a guidebook with us was probably a wise move. My local bookshop only had one book covering Croatia so that?s how I came to purchase the Berlitz Pocket Guide at £4.99. Appearance First impressions of this guidebook were very positive. It is, as the name suggest, compact in...

Meggysmum 15.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Croatia Berlitz Pocket Guide

Blown Away in Bosnia

Advantages: A genuine eye-opener. Stunning views, friendly people.
Disadvantages: Watch out for the landmines. Hygiene and health and safety are a long way from what we're used to.

...I wanted that title to be as crass and tasteless as possible, for reasons I hope will become apparent later. It's taken me two months to get down to writing this piece, because no matter how I re-wrote it, the original article just ended up sounding like Beer Tears. Mostar lies three hours inland by coach from the seductive tourist trap of Dubrovnik, across the border into mountainous Bosnia-Herzegovina. Both cities suffered devastating sieges a decade ago, but since then, their fates have been so different. Dubrovnik basks on the Adriatic coast, smug as only a chic, cosmopolitan tourist haven can be. After the war, the world fell over itself restoring the city to it's former glory. Croatia also got a lucky break, acquiring 80% of former Yugoslavia's coastline. This, combined with the city's stunning beauty and wonderful...

Plissken 17.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina)