Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide: Dubrovnik

DubrovNIk & THE DALMATIAN CoAST 10 Unspoilt beaches 10 Historic towns 10 Museums & galleries 10 Pristine islands 10 Activities for children 10 Great sailing destinations 10 Churches & cathedrals 10 Liveliest festivals 10 Best hotels for every budget 10 Insider tips for every visitor your guide   DUbROVNIK & ThE DALmATIAN cOAST  Contents Left Excursion boat, Cavtat Right Fish platter, Nostromo, Split Contents Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast Produced by DP Services, London Reproduced by Colourscan, Singapore Printed and bound in Italy by Graphicom First American Edition, 2006 06 07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Published in the United States by DK Publishing, Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 Copyright 2006 © Dorling Kindersley Limited, London A Penguin Company All rights reserved under International and PanAmerican Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited A CIP catalogue record is available from the British Library. ISSN 1479-344X ISBN-13: 978-0-75661-553-6 ISBN-10: 0-75661-553-4 Within each Top 10 list in this book, no hierarchy of quality or popularity is implied. All 10 are, in the editor’s opinion, of roughly equal merit. Floors are referred to throughout in accordance with British usage; ie the “first floor” is the floor above ground level. Old City Walls, Dubrovnik Stradun, Dubrovnik 8 10 Rector’s Palace, Dubrovnik 14 Kor¦ula Town 16 Trogir 18 Krka National Park 20 Diocletian’s Palace, Split 22 Kornati National Park 26 Cathedral of St James, Ëibenik 28 Zadar Old Town 30 The information in this DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide is checked regularly. Every effort has been made to ensure that this book is as up-to-date as possible at the time of going to press. Some details, however, such as telephone numbers, opening hours, prices, gallery hanging arrangements and travel information are liable to change. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book, nor for any material on third party websites, and cannot guarantee that any website address in this book will be a suitable source of travel information. We value the views and suggestions of our readers very highly. Please write to: Publisher, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand, London, Great Britain WC2R 0RL. Cover: Front – Alamy Images; Austrophoto/f1 online main image; DK Images Lucio Rossi t, cl, clb, bl. Back – Aura Photo Agency Aldo Pavan tl; DK Images Lucio Rossi tc, tr.  Moments in Dalmatian History 34 Around Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast Old Towns 36 Dubrovnik 58 Cathedrals & Churches 38 Northern Dalmatia 72 Museums & Galleries 40 Central Dalmatia 80 Beaches 42 Southern Dalmatia 90 Sporting Activities 44 Sailing Destinations 46 Restaurants 48 Things to Buy 50 Activities for Children 52 Festivals & Events 54 Streetsmart Practical Information 100 Places to Stay 110 General Index 118 Phrase Book 126 Dalmatia Map Index 128 Left Old town, Dubrovnik Right Croatian National Theatre, Split Contents Left Onofrio’s Fountain, Stradun, Dubrovnik Right River Cikola, Krka National Park   dubrovnik Highlights 6–7 Old City Walls, Dubrovnik 8–9 Stradun, Dubrovnik 10–13 Rector’s Palace, Dubrovnik 14–15 Kor¦ula Town 16–17 Trogir 18–19 Krka National Park 20–21 Diocletian’s Palace, Split 22–25 Kornati National Park 26–27 8Vi]ZYgVad[Hi?VbZh! Ëibenik 28–29 Zadar Old Town 30–31 Top 10 of Everything 34–55 Dubrovnik & The DalmaTian CoasT & The dalmaTian coasT  Highlights City Walls,
Old Dubrovnik GVW Ajc CdkVa_V Eg^ocV EV\ Da^W BdaVi 7^]V¦ @dgZc^XV A>§@6" H:C ? H@6 i Along its polished expanse, Dubrovnik’s elegant pedestrianized main thoroughfare boasts a wealth of churches, palaces, shops, fountains and pavement cafés (see pp10–13). Ea^ik^XV Did¦VX @gVhcd W^ Stradun, Dubrovnik HZc_ aZ For centuries, the remarkable old city walls have afforded Dubrovnik protection. Today they allow visitors a bird’s-eye view of one of Europe’s most impressive cities (see pp8–9). KZ Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast Whether you visit for the sun, the sailing, the scenery, or some of the freshest seafood you’ll find anywhere, the Dalmatian coast is quite simply one of Europe’s most stunning escapes. Long stretches of glorious shoreline are framed between striking limestone mountains and the azure waters of the Adriatic, where hundreds of islands, inhabited and uninhabited, await exploration. The coastline is punctuated by a series of lively towns and cities, in which the region’s long and eclectic history comes alive in wonderfully preserved “old cores” that are no mere museum-pieces, but vibrant, bustling hubs of activity – nowhere more so than Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site now returned to its former splendour after the siege of the early 1990s. A^¦`^Dh^` Bji^a^¦ Aj`dkdËj\Vg_Z EV\ C^c J\a_Vc >¹ 9j\^ Did` <gV¦VX HZa^cZ EdhZYVg_Z  OVYVg EV·bVc Cdk^\gVY @V·iZa Ë>7:CH@D Ë>7:CH@D" @g`V CVi^dcVaEVg`  BjgiZg  H`gVY^c H`gVY^c @dgcVi^ CVi^dcVa EVg` KdY^XZ Ë^WZc^`  Ë^WZc^` 7dgV_V º^g_Z Eg^bdiZc Gd\doc^XV Palace, Dubrovnik Rector’s Under the Republic of Ragusa, the city’s figurehead presided here, amidst a flurry of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. This impressive palace has now been reinvented as a museum and cultural venue (see pp14–15). Town Kor¦ula It may or may not be the birthplace of Marco Polo, but Kor¦ula Town is simply sublime, set on its own peninsula, framed by sea and mountains. Its cathedral is one of the most charming ecclesiastical buildings in the Adriatic (see pp16–17).  Hj¦Zk^X^ O6 96 GH@6 ºZ\Vgh`^ 7Zc`dkVX 7^d\gVY cVBdgj HVa^ @gj\Z ?d·Vc <dhe^× Preceding pages View of rooftops from Dubrovnik city walls  Trogir Set on its own National Park Krka Established to protect the middle and lower reaches of the River Krka, this idyllic natural playground of lakes, waterfalls and waterways near Ëibenik attracts small kids and big kids alike (see pp20–21). Palace, Split Diocletian’s The palatial, UNESCO-World- Heritage-listed retirement home of Emperor Diocletian forms the frenetic heart of the dashing Mediterranean city of Split (see pp22–5). National Park Kornati This necklace of largely uninhabited 9gkVg 7dhVch`d <gV]dkd @c^c 7DHC>6" =:G8:<DK>C6 9 9gc^· ^c `d §^ aV ` H^c_ OV @ViZaV  A^kcd V \d @a^h g V  Idb^haVk\gVY Ig^a_ 6g¹Vcd gV Ë^gd`^7g^_Z\ Db^ ËdaiV B^acV 7gZaV 7gV¦ 7da =kVg A_jWj·`^ ^kd\d×Z OVdhigd\ §Vea_^cV <gVYVX K^h @dg¦jaV BZi`dk^× Ead¦Z @j×^·iZ KZaVAj`V 6Yg^Vi^X HZV BdhiVg BV`Vgh`V EdY\dgV ?ZahV =kVg DejoZc DgZW^¦  EZa_Z·VX EZc^chjaV @dg¦jaV AVhidkd of St James, Cathedral Šibenik Edhj·_Z Hea^i HEA>IH@D"96AB6I>CH@6 Igd\^g CZ gZ i kV D"@ C @ > CCH>@ C6 H@6 c islands strung out in the Adriatic has become a paradise for sailors, and for those looking to escape the strains and stresses of modern life (see pp26–7). 7^aZ×V Hidc BVa^Hidc 9J7GDK6§@D" C:G:IK6CH@6 EdbZcV Now fully restored since its shelling in 1991, this splendid cathedral is one of Europe’s finest – and another UNESCOHidaVX World-Heritage-listed gem (see pp28–9). A_jW^c_Z IghiZcd Ba_Zi  Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast island, this perfectly preserved old city shimmers with churches, palaces and one of Europe’s most striking cathedrals, whose beauty is recognized by UNESCO (see pp18–19). NJMFT  LN  9jWgdkc^`  8VkiVi Zadar Old Town  IgZW^c_Z @d cV kaZ =ZgXZ\"Cdk^ This proud survivor is now back to its lively best, with Slavic culture meeting Roman remnants on a striking Adriatic peninsula (see pp30–31).