Tales from the road… Postcards from Croatia

Caroline Thorpe, Leger’s Design Studio Manager joined an 8-day tour of Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast to learn more about the area and see why its popularity has grown in recent years.

Following the beautiful coastline of the winding bay of Kotor, known locally as Boka Kotorska, our destination was the beautiful, walled city of Dubrovnik.
This was just one part of an 8-day tour I’d joined, taking in not only Croatia, but also visiting Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
En route to Dubrovnik we passed buildings decorated with vibrant pink bougainvillea and parks thick with palms and oleander – a common sight in this part of the world – before enjoying a short visit to the wonderful, quiet little town of Cavtat. Here, waterfront cafes line the quiet promenade, providing breathtaking views across the clear blue water, along with an excellent selection of mouth-watering cuisine.

Destination Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is described as ‘the most perfectly preserved medieval town in the world’, so, as this was my first visit to the city, I joined the optional city tour to see the main sights of the city – I didn’t want to miss anything! The guide who would show us the sights of Dubrovnik, Tolsten (or Paul, as he told us to call him), was very flamboyant and seemed to know everyone in the town!
It was another hot day, and walking through the Pile Gate, the traditional entrance to the Old Town, we found ourselves in a lovely broad avenue known as Placa with smooth, cream-coloured flagstones stretching its 958- foot length.
We passed Onofrio’s Fountain with its huge, red brick dome sitting above sixteen fountains – ornately carved faces sitting in a stone wall spurting water from their lips – and followed Paul into the cool, Franciscan church. He gathered us round with his catchphrase (“now then my dear friends”) as he lead us up into the backstreets lined with cozy little restaurants, where waiters were busy laying tables and sweeping around in readiness for their lunchtime customers.
Back once again on Placa, Orlando’s Column was right in front of us – and here the magnificent Bell Tower stands high above the buildings and cluster of restaurant umbrellas below.

A Different View

As Paul said a final “goodbye my friends,” I decided to head to the cable car before the sun reached its full, midday strength. I’d bought my ticket before I arrived at the cable car station, which meant I got directed to the front of the queue, and onto the cable car which would take me to the top of the Srd Hill.
The ride itself took just 3 minutes, carrying us high above the terracotta roofs of the town, with excellent views of Dubrovnik and out over the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea to the green island of Lokrum. At the summit, there’s a shop, a modern amphitheatre and an open-air restaurant. It’s a great viewpoint to appreciate the structure of the lovely town unfolding below you.

Exploring the Town

I headed, along Placa – the whole length of it lined with intriguing little shops – with wonderful, narrow stone alleyways on either side packed with more shops, restaurants and bars… a great place for people watching and cooling off in Dubrovnik’s summer heat.
I wandered around the streets of the Old Town – a network of charming, cobbled streets where buildings were decorated with colourful scarves, handmade jewellery, delicate lace and leather goods displayed outside the numerous shops.

A Breath of Fresh Air

As I walked round to St. John’s Fort – which I’d seen earlier from the top of Srd Hill – a different glimpse of the city greeted me. The bustling harbour promenade is a hive of activity, where cruise ships bring visitors to the city and boats take day-trippers out to neighbouring islands and resorts to see more of the wonderful sights this area has to offer.

Walking the Walls

As I headed back into the Old Town. I passed people clambering up along the stone ramparts of the town – considered to be one of the great fortifications of the middle ages – draped with pale and bold pink oleander bushes, for the one-and-a-quarter-mile stroll above the carpet of terracotta rooftops. The high wall encompasses the whole city, running an unbroken course of over 6,300 feet, with strong forts as part of its defence system. I would’ve loved longer to walk the city walls for myself, but it was time to leave.

Reflection Beneath the Stars

That evening, back at our hotel I enjoyed a quiet drink on the hotel’s terrace. It had been a great week, with lots of fabulous memories to take home with me. A wonderful, unforgettable Croatian adventure.
Have you been to Croatia recently? Would you like to share your story with our readers? If so, you can get in touch using the comments section below.