Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik dates back to prehistoric times when it was a small settlement located on an island known as Laus, separated from the mainland by a marsh. Laus changed to Raus which in turn became Ragusa, the name the city went by when people from surrounding communities flee there for protection from the Slavs, in the 7th century.
It expanded considerably as part of the Byzantine Empire and by the 13th century the Republic of Venice, considering the city to be a threat, conquered it and then controlled it from 1205 to 1358. The Old Town was concluded in the 13th century and remains almost unchanged to the present day.
In the 14th century, Dubrovnik became Croat-Hungarian but with significant autonomy.
The city was hit by an earthquake in 1667 and, although the walls remained standing, it was weakened and was easily conquered by Napolean in the beginning of the 19th century. The Republic of Ragusa was officially dissolved and, with Napolean's fall, incorporated in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
After World War I the city became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, known as Yugoslavia after World War II. It was only in the early 90s that Croatia became an independent country.

How to go: Dubrovnik is a cruise destination; there's also an airport 20 km away.











Local: Dubrovnik, Croácia

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