Dubrovnik & south Dalmatia: the back story

Dubrovnik’s fortifications, the gardens of its noble families and the walled town of Korčula give the far south its particular character. This is the story behind the places on our list.

A city of defences

Dubrovnik is best understood through its defences. Fort Lovrijenac stands on a rock 37 metres above the sea outside the western walls, and the Latin inscription over its gate says freedom is not to be sold for all the gold in the world. For the whole picture, ride the cable car up Mount Srđ, where the walls, the city and the islands lie below.

Gardens of the republic

The old republic’s noble families also built for pleasure. North of the city, Trsteno grew from the summer garden of a Ragusan family, laid out above the sea from the late 15th century. Just offshore, Lokrum is a wooded reserve with a botanical garden and the ruins of a Benedictine monastery, where peacocks wander and nobody may stay the night.

Korčula and the coast

Beyond the city, the coast keeps its own pace. Cavtat has a palm-lined harbour and, on the hill, the Račić Mausoleum by Ivan Meštrović. On Korčula, the walled old town is laid out like a fishbone around the Cathedral of St Mark, and LD Restaurant sets its tables on the walls above the sea.

Over Fort Lovrijenac’s gate, a Latin inscription says freedom is not to be sold for all the gold in the world.

Our advice: ride the cable car up Mount Srđ at sunset, and be on the last boat back from Lokrum.