George Bernard Shaw called Dubrovnik “heaven on earth.”  This angelic city on the Adriatic Sea certainly lives up to this billing.  Pretty much the entire historic medieval part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and its easy to see why.  It is one of the most beautifully preserved medieval cites in the world.  And HBO thinks so too as it chose this location for many of its Game of Thrones scenes in the fictional Kings Landing.

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, Dubrovnik is located on a sliver of land at the far southern end of Croatia known as the Dalmatian Coast.  Bosnia and Herzegovina borders the high mounts on the eastern edge of Dubrovnik and Montenegro lies a short distance to the south.  During the Balkan wars of the early 1990s Dubrovnik was claimed by Montenegro who was allied with the Serbs.  In October 1991 Serbian forces put the city under siege for seven months and blasted away at the old city with artillery positioned on the heights looking over the city.  Nearly sixty percent of the old city was damaged and you can still see the results of the artillery today by looking at the rooftops.  The rooftops with newer, redder tiles than the faded older tiles were hit by the shelling.

Dubrovnik has been around for at least 2,000 years based on recent archeological finds that suggest a large fort and temples were on this site.  By the 8th century it was a thriving seaport and became a challenge to Venice in the 12th and 13th centuries when it was part of the Republic of Ragusa.  So, if you’re a history buff, Dubrovnik is your kind of town.

The old city is surrounded by a high wall.  Many scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed here and all the tourist kiosks advertise Game of Thrones Tours for fans.

There are plenty of shops and little cafes to explore.

In the Bay of Dubrovnik is the small island of Lokrum, which hosts a nude beach and a monastery.

Kongo took a hike around the walls of the city.  It’s a 1.5 mile trek and enables one to look down on the old city.

Everywhere you look in Dubrovnik is a view of something you want to take a picture of.  There are statues, churches, shops, nooks, and old homes.  It’s really “heaven on earth.”

Travel safe.  Have fun.