Dubrovnik is one of the last walled-in Medieval towns
We went into the town through a gate in its massive walls, the Pile Gate, built in 1537, combining a Renaissance arch with a wooden drawbridge on chains.
Once inside the walls we were greeted by an impressive promenade, the Placa, which extends al the way to the clock tower at the other side of town.
We went straight to the top of the walls, and walked all along the perimeter, about 1 1/2 miles long. Most of the original construction took place during the 13th Century, though the walls were further reinforced with towers and bastions during the following 400 years
The walk was much easier than its counterpart in Kotor. We were able to see how the wall is incorporated into everyday living. There was a ball court belonging to a school built right into the wall, and people lived right next to it, even hanging out their wash.
The view was incredible. The main difference with Kotor is that Dubrovnik is perfectly preserved, all the buildings are cut from the same light-colored stone and the roofs are tiled.
From the wall top we spied the Dominican Monastery steeple, a cannon opening, more tiled roofs, and another steeple standing guard.
As we continued our walk, we climbed up some stairs and were rewarded by more awesome views from the very top.
Returning to the town, we passed the Church of St. Blaise, (Sveti Vlah) the city's patron. The original burnt down, and this 18th Century church replaced it. We stopped to have a cold drink, since it was very hot, and then proceeded to Dubrovnik's Cathedral, Katedrala Velika Gospa, or Assumption Cathedral
As we continued to walk about town, we ran into a couple of fellow travelers. He was a Swedish author of some note. I can't remember his name or his wife's. They were very congenial. We had a last view of the town's streets, the cable bridge and our boat. There was a map of Dubrovnik and I couldn't resist photographing it.
We were told to be back on the boat by 1:30 PM, since we would sail to our last port, Venice, in Italy. Thus ended another wonderful adventure.