We woke up on Sunday to find ourselves docked in Dubrovnik, Croatia. We boarded a bus which took us on a short ride to the entrance of Old Town Dubrovnik:
It dropped us off at the main entrance into the Old Town, and we walked through a fortified drawbridge and across the 15th century Pile Gate:
The Old Town of Dubrovnik is known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic". It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world. We strolled through Old Town and found it to be absolutely enchanting:
During the Middle Ages, Onofrio's Fountain was a collection point for water flowing into the city via an aqueduct from the Dubrovnik River. It also supplied the city with fresh water when the city was under siege in 1991-1992 during the Croatian War of Independence (when they declared independence from Yugoslavia):
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| The fountain still supplies fresh water today and contains ornate figures: |
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| Franciscan Monastery. |
Legend has it that if you manage to stand on this gargoyle head jutting out from the wall of the Franciscan Monastery and keep your balance, you will have good luck (It is actually the end of a pipe that distributes rain water from the roof):
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| Leah tried, but it was slippery! |
Luke was excited to find Hard Rock Cafe in Old Town Dubrovnik. He visited Hard Rock Cafe in every European city that he could on this trip, and has quite an impressive t-shirt collection as a result:
As Game of Thrones fans, we were very excited to visit Dubrovnik (where much of the series was filmed) and we saw many of GoT themed shops and sights in the city:
As we strolled through Old Town, we stopped for smoothies at a little cafe and noticed that we were beside the Jesuit staircase that was used to film one of the most famous scenes from Game of Thrones:
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| Walk of Shame Staircase (descends from Gundulic Square to St. Ignatius Church) |
One of the most unique ways to see Dubrovnik is by doing the self guided Wall Walk. The walls encircle most of the old city, are 10-20 feet thick, and as high as 83 feet above the ground. The views from the 1.5 mile long wall walk were stunning, and we spent a couple of hours ambling along the walls, stopping frequently to take photos and admire the scenery. Here's a photo dump of our favorite pictures from our Wall Walk;
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| Stopping for a frozen lemonade. It was HOT up there in the sun! |
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| Beachgoers were jumping off the rocks and swimming in the water. |
We descended the stairs after completing the loop, and had lunch in a plaza in Old Town near the harbor:
Fort Lovrijenac (the Fort of St Lawrence) features as the Red Keep in Game of Thrones. Also known as "Dubrovnik's Gilbraltar", it is made up of 3 levels and forms a triangular shape on a high cliff. 
There were 200 steps leading to the top of the fort, but it was worth the climb to see the views from its terraces:
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| View of Old Town from Fort Lovrijenac. |
Ten cannons defended the 11th century fort from Venetians attempting to overtake the city:
A wedding had taken place at the fort the evening before, and crews were taking down decorations and equipment. Such a cool place to get married, but I can not imagine guests climbing all those steps in their wedding attire!
The 15th century Bokar Fort defended the Pile Gate, bridge, and moat, and is recognized for its cylindrical shape:
Croatia is known for its beautiful coastline, and the beaches that surround Old Town and calm waters in the Pile Harbor afford the opportunity for sea kayaking:
Mark, Luke, and Leah had the best time on this adventure as they kayaked in the Adriatic Sea (while I stayed on land with our bags):
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| Luke joked that he left Dad & Leah far behind (with his rowing experience). |
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| Off they go! |
We were delighted by Dubrovnik and could have stayed there for days. I kept saying to Mark that it was my new favorite place and may have asked him if we could move there. It was a perfect day of exploring and adventure in Croatia!