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The history and beauty
of Croatia's Dubrovnik, the untarnished coastal gem
by James Mayfield (Chairman, European Heritage Library)
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this Article • About
the Author • Bibliography/Sources
This topic offers my photo
gallery of the ancient medieval walled fort city of Dubrovnik
on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, along with its history
and my observations. It is becoming one of the most frequented
exotic tourist sites in Europe, and has one of the best-preserved
ancient cities of the world.
Croatia has an unfortunate
reputation of being a poor, "Eastern Bloc" country
that suffered immensely during the Yugoslav Wars between ethnic
Croats and Serbs. Indeed, both the poverty and this somber
history are still very true. But the Dalmatian coastline offers
one of the most untarnished, unchanged, and beautiful tourist
hot spots available in Europe today. The Medieval walled city
of Dubrovnik rivals Estonia's capital (Tallinn), Venice, and
many small towns in Germany for having the best-preserved
and oldest towns in Europe.
A visitor to Dubrovnik would
not perceive that Croatia remains one of Europe's poorest
nations. Indeed, income from tourism and international maintenance
investment make Dubrovnik a wealthy coastal paradise. The
lethargy, poverty, and obsolescence of rural Croatia and even
the capital Zagreb is a striking contrast to the bustling
town of walled Dubrovnik, as apparent below:
Most homes in rural Croatia's
countryside are delapidated, poor, and struggling
(Click to enlarge)
Even in the capital Zagreb,
homes and projects are outdated, wilting, and in great contrast
to Dubrovnik (Click to enlarge)
Dubrovnik is a refreshing
change from the rest of Croatia, whose countryside is also
incredibly scenic and beautiful. The walled city in the center
is one of the few cities in the world in current residential
use that has seldom changed for more than 300 years, allowing
a visitor to step back in time in near-perfect preservation
to the medieval period of Slavic' Croatia's history. For a
brief historical background, what is now Croatia became occupied
by the Slavic Croat tribes by the 8th century. The warring
bans and dukes coalesced into a unified Croatian Slavic kingdom
under Tomislav the Great by the early 10th century. This Slavic
statehood was short-lived, as their small size and lack of
organization allowed the Catholic Hungarian state to annex
Croatia by the 12th century. Hungarian rule of Croatia remained
until the 16th century, when Hungary and Croatia both on the
brink of total defeat by the mighty Ottoman Turks, who had
already conquered nearly all of Christian southern Europe.
Ostensibly in part to save the Christians from Muslim conquest,
the Germans of the Habsburg Empire annexed both Croatia along
with Hungary and what are now the Czech and Slovak Republics
until 1918, when Croatia merged with their southern Slavic
brethren ("Yugo-Slavs") to form Yugoslavia.
The city of Dubrovnik, due
to its proximity to the invading navies of Byzantium and of
Italian city-states such as Venice, remained outside of the
reach of the Hungarians and the Germans. The Italian Venetians
had conquered the whole coastline (Dalmatia), along with what
they called Ragusa ("Dubrovnik" in Serbo-Croatian)
by the 13th century. The Dalmatian coast remained under Venetian
suzerainty until the late 15th century, when the single city
in the south of Dubrovnik became a tributary vassal of the
Ottoman Empire that was free in all but name. As a result
of Venetian rule and the geography of the region, Ragusa/Dubrovnik
became quite wealthy and long flourished even as Venice was
quickly becoming an obsolescent backwater.
the outer city of Dubrovnik near a restored bridge previously
destroyed by the Serb Yugoslavs. (click to enlarge)
a close-up of the expanded city. (click to enlarge)
Dubrovnik has retained its
old flavor and Medieval character. The exterior of the walled
city offers a lovely experience in a quiet, lush green, and
homogeneous coastal fishing town with traditional red roofs
and endless vineyards of generally strong, flavorful Croatian
red wines. Dalmatia's nearly-unmatched coastal scenic views
offer winding paved roads with endless trees and vineyards
at left and the crystal-blue Adriatic Sea at right. The Catholic
and Slavic identity of the Croats is strong both within and
without the city, as most Dubrovniak homes are populated by
extended families including grandfather, grandmother, mother,
father, and children. The children live at home until later
ages, working at family-owned businesses or in the Old City
before marrying late into their own homes. Many families own
vineyards and crops with sheep and horses, as passed down
since the period of independent Ragusa. Many Dubrovnik families
grow their own foods and fruits for sale or personal dining.
The national Croat drink, Rakija, is a brandy-like liquor
with green herbs therein offering a strong and sweet green
taste. As it is often fermented locally, many Croats sell
traditional Rakija (Rock-iya) in Smirnoff vodka bottles with
the whisky drained. Croatia is incredibly ethnically homogeneous,
with an almost completely Slavic population and, following
the violent expulsion of their Serb relatives during the Yugoslav
Wars, almost entirely Croat. The cultural and ethnic nationalism
of the Croats is expressed with great pride, as nearly every
car has a custom "HR" symbol (for "Hrvatska,"
the Croatian word for "Croatia"). Pride for the
independent Croatian culture is embraced universally, and
a general hatred for their former Serb rulers is widespread.
Catholic Croatian churches enjoy relatively high attendance,
a long history, high donations, and strong local reverence
(especially for St. Michael and the Franciscan orders). The
famous Croat beer Karlovačko (carlo-vochko) offers a rich
heritage and a strong lager taste. Gasoline is relatively
affordable in comparison with the remainder of Europe, where
gas prices may exceed 9 Euros per gallon.
the walled Old City of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) in the distance).
(click to enlarge)
a local fishery in the near city of Cavtat. (click
to enlarge)
an ancient restored Roman mill for a local restaurant. (click
to enlarge
this restaurant's local menu.
the gorgeous local Dubrovniak running river. (click
to enlarge)
Dubrovniak vineyards. (click to enlarge)
Somber evidence of the Yugoslav
Wars is preserved inside the walled town and its vicinity.
From nearby Montenegro, a large Serbian and Montenegrin army
of the Belgrade-centered Yugoslav state rallied an invasion
of the city of Dubrovnik (and all of Croatia) in order to
suppress their 1991 independence movement. The Serbs shelled
the walled Old City from the nearby mountains with artillery
for weeks but ultimately failed in the assault. The Croats
and Serbs, two closely-related people whose language is often
interchangeable, have often suffered a strained relationship
due, from the Croats' perspective, of consistent efforts by
the Serbs to dominate the other Yugoslav peoples. The Croats
and Serbs were part of Yugoslavia from 1918 until 1991, but
a close alliance between the Croats and Hitler's Germany greatly
contributed to this problematic and tenuous alliance. Bullet
holes and bombing damage can be seen to this day in many buildings
to commemorate the Croat defense against Yugoslav invasion
to protect their statehood under Ante Gotovina.
Despite these recent hardships,
Dubrovnik is incredibly clean and well-maintained due to tourist
investment and re-development funding from UNESCO. Many of
the locals attribute this cleanliness and lack of crime to
the low immigration Croatia endures due to its present economic
situation. Dozens of painters exploit the beauty of the Croatian
geography, and many galleries can be seen all throughout the
old and new cities of Dubrovnik. Quilts, rugs, traditional
costumes and cultural clothing, ceramics, glass products,
and books are also sold with proud frequency. Inhabitants
of Dubrovnik speak many languages, including Croatian, Russian,
English, German, and French in response to the exploding magnetism
of tourism in Dubrovnik. The economic and urban future of
Croatia is vivid with auspicious potential. A great deal of
environmental protection of local parks and government-owned
islands exists in Dalmatia, a heritage first installed allegedly
by Napoleon Bonaparte I after his conquest of the region in
the 18th century. French installation of quarantine and hospital
buildings caused Dubrovnik to remain free of disease and sickness
whilst many local regions endured great physical calamity
during his rule. Croatia and Dubrovnik are rich in local restaurants
owned by family businesses for centuries, offering local Croatian
cuisine including mussels, lamb, olive oil, cheese pita bread,
clams, and cottage cheese dishes. Many local restaurants even
buy properties around venerated and prized ancient Roman ruins
as locations for nationally-famous restaurants. Dubrovnik's
most expensive restaurant is adjacent to a Roman water mill
built nearly 2,000 years ago. Tourism is expected and treated
with abundance as a foreshadow of the bright future Croatia
will soon experience in comparison with Albania and Serbia.
It must be remembered that any tourist would be stunned to
see the poverty and delapidation of the remainder of Croatia
after having seen Dubrovnik.
the country of Montenegro in the distance of Dubrovnik's borders.
(click to enlarge)
a statue commemorating commemorating Bogišič (pronounced Boeg-ee-sheech),
founder of Dubrovnik's golden Slavic art age.
Dubrovnik's glorious interior fishing community of Cavtat
(pronounced "Tzav-tot"). (click to enlarge)
Cavtat's local restaurant and a famous Catholic church. (click
to enlarge)
another angle of the above.
the blend between the ancient old city and the new thriving
post-war development. (click to enlarge)
The walled city of Old Town
(the original Ragusa fort city) is reached in the center of
town over an original bridge. Another major bridge connecting
the original walled city to the new, expanded center was destroyed
during the independence war with the Serbs, causing Dubrovnik's
residents to be cut off from supplies and virtually starved.
Croatian flags and standards are waved with pride all over
the Old City, including a large commemorative area in the
entrance to the town honoring the deaths of the thousands
of Croats who fell during the war (see below for a photo).
The interior of the city -- including its walls -- is practically
a mint copy of the original city of the 1500s, an opportunity
experienced in few cities in the world. The restoration effort
is visible following the Yugoslav Wars by the fact that some
buildings are light red -- denoting original middle age architecture
-- and some are dark red -- denoting new restorative construction.
Original architecture derives from stone, stone, or wood,
whilst new is made of plaster composite. Some buildings and
churches even have bullet holes still visible from the war
with Yugoslavia. The renovation effort is successful, as most
of the city cannot be discerned from its middle age predecessor.
Original canons, cannonballs, guns, statues of saints, and
ships can be seen in the area in celebration of the ancient
Croatian Slavic heritage. Endless shops and private city painters
offer a permanent stamp of the unforgettable memory of Dubrovnik
for sale to tourists. Large Catholic churches offer a look
at much of Croatia's piety to their independent Catholic faith,
with multiple churches in the tiny Old City alone. Dogs and
cats walk the city without intervention, hoarding next to
600-year-old fountains still in use today. Tourists are able
to traverse the walls of the city in entirety, an undertaking
that requires several hours but offers a view both of the
gorgeous Croatian wooded forests as well as the interior of
the walled old city just as original city guards did late
into the night centuries ago to protect the Croats from foreign
invaders.
The Croats pride themselves
in their unique history, religion, and heritage despite centuries
of foreign rule by Italians, Hungarians, Germans, and Serbs,
and enjoy an ancient city virtually unparalleled in its beauty
that a tourist would seldom expect from the war-torn Yugoslav
Balkans. Dubrovnik, not the capital of Zagreb, is the epitome
of this vivid and ancient Croatian heritage that few cities
have to offer.
the entrance bridge to the Old City. (click to enlarge)
another angle of the entrance. Notice the Croatian flag displayed
with ethnic and cultural nationalistic pride. (click
to enlarge)
the commemorative banner displaying war-dead Croats and damaged
buildings in the war of Croatian independence.
the entrance of Dubrovnik's Old City. (click to enlarge)
a church at the entrance with bullet holes from the Serb assault.
the interior of a Catholic Croatian church within the Old
City. (click to enlarge)
a close-up of the same church with Serb bullet holes and shells.
(click to enlarge)
the altar of the Old City's Croat church. (click to
enlarge)
a medieval corridor in the Old City. (click to enlarge)
Another photo of mine of the old city. (click to enlarge)
downtown Dubrovnik, with a German flag in background signifying
the expectation of tourism as Croatia's economic salvation.
(click to enlarge)
central Dubrovnik, with thriving trade cities, markets, and
shops centuries old.
Another photo of mine of a Dubrovniak corridor. (click
to enlarge)
outer Dubrovnik's Old City, with a view of the naval port
of the ancient trade city. (click to enlarge)
________________________________________
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
James Mayfield is a historian
and the Chairman of the European Heritage Library. I have
a Cum Laude BA in History with a Minor in Germanic Studies
(language and history), am presently working for my Masters
in History, and plan to immediately progress to my PhD Doctorate.
I have a special academic interest in Europe's diverse ethnic
identities, languages, and cultures, and the political struggles
of native European and immigrant minority identities. See
my staff entry for more information.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
USED:
No additional citations or
sources necessary.
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