Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik - The Not so Hidden Gem of Croatia -

 

 

   Just driving into Dubrovnik late in the evening was exciting. They had bridges that were well lit, you could see fancy yachts in the harbor, and we slowly wound our way towards the city which had been hailed as a hidden gem in Croatia. I couldn't see much driving up at night, but I was excited for the next day. Dubrovnik turned out to be a beautiful city, steeped in history and culture, full of charming citizens, amazing architecture and... lots of tourists. I could not even imagine trying to visit Dubrovnik in the summer. I was there one of the final weeks in fall that it was still nice out and it was crowded. I walked the entire wall around the city which in some parts was really only meant for a single file line and I couldn't imagine visiting with more people in town. It's apparently a huge attraction for European cruises as well, with large ships full of thousands of people docking, invading the city, and leaving at the end of the day. I thought Croatia was one of the less traveled countries in Europe, but apparently the secret is out about how great it is to travel there. And don't get me wrong, it is. It really is worth a trip to see the city and everything it holds, but just be prepared for crowds. Here are some pictures to convince you:    

 

Stradun, the main street of Dubrovnik.

Sponza Palace

The walls of Dubrovnik which defended the city in the Middle Ages.

The harbor in Dubrovnik.

Montenegro

     If I'm being completely honest, I initially thought Montenegro was a city somewhere in Croatia or Slovenia. My geography of that part of Europe is not the best and this goes back to me needing to research the places I travel to a little more thoroughly. So imagine my surprise to see a customs checkpoint as I crossed from Croatia into Montenegro. After the quick check, I was shortly in Kotor, Montenegro. Kotor is on the Bay of Kotor and is in an extremely picturesque area. 

 

 

Kotor is best known for being a preserved medieval old town and a UNESCO world heritage site. The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon is worth the dollar or two to enter and walk around. I only had a few hours or I would have walked to to the top of the city, which I'm sure held stunning views. Something that stuck out to me was that there were cats everywhere. 

Like everywhere else in this area of the continent, beautiful views are all around.

 

A former home of royalty in Montenegro.

 

 

Taking the ferry back towards Croatia.