Costa Cruises’ Costa Favolosa made its debut July 2 in Trieste, Italy and the line has launched an one-week sale ending July 5 for select summer and fall Mediterranean schedules on a selection of ships. The sale includes Costa Favolosa’s seven-night eastern Mediterranean cruises from Venice calling at : Bari, Italy ; Katakolon, Greece ; Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey ; and , Croatia.
Also on sale are seven-night Mediterranean sailings on Costa Serena, Costa Concordia, Costa Magica, Costa Romantica, Costa Victoria and Costa Fortuna, as well as Costa Concordia’s seven- to 10-night winter Mediterranean sailings from Civitavecchia (Rome). Sale fares begin at $429 someone (double occupancy) for the seven-night summer and fall schedules, and $559 for the seven- to 10-night winter schedules, excluding air. For more information, call 1-800-GO-COSTA or visit costacruises.com, writes .
The Croatian walled city of Dubrovnik sits on a peninsula jutting out into the Adriatic Sea, in the far south of the country. One of the most frantic and most popular visitor destinations on the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik has a prospering port and is now a celebrated UNESCO International heritage site. Traditionally a major maritime trading centre, in the Middle Ages this stunning city became the only Adriatic city-state to rival the might of Venice. Its great periods were during the 15th and 16th centuries, and much of the grandeur of those eras remains today.
Called the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic ‘, this fascinating city is a Mecca for visitors, with its spectacular Old City bursting with heritage design, forts, museums and palaces, their glorious interiors a commemoration to the wealth of the city. Protected still by its traditional city walls, Old Dubrovnik is an ideal destination for history buffs.
Both Catholic and Serbian Orthodox cathedrals and churches tower over the terracotta roofs of the old buildings and, when sightseeing gets knackering, Dubrovnik’s pebble beaches and warm seas give a chilled change of focus. Of note, visitor information is available at the city’s numerous tourism outlets, with some of the most well liked being located at Gruz Harbour, along the Old Town’s Ulica Svetog Dominika, and on the Setaliste Kralja Zvonimira, in the Lapad promontory.
Many appealing family beaches skirt the spur, with the most well-liked being fronted by resort-style hotels and tropical palms. The coastline around Dubrovnik comprises a diverse mix of Adriatic beaches, some sandy, others made from pebbles and tiny rocks. Located on the eastern side of the Old Harbour, Banje Beach is handily near to the action and features great perspectives across the Old City. Connected by a coastal route, the Lapad beaches are especially tasty, with their fine sand and seafood restaurants , while at the Sveti Jakov Beach you can try your hand at jet skiing and other fun water sports. Additional info about Dubrovnik Beaches.
Considering its size, the sightseeing prospects in Dubrovnik are great. When you first arrive in the city, a walking tour of the Old City comes highly recommended, being led by experienced guides and departing every day from the Latino Club Fuego. If you prefer to explore more at your leisure, then the Pile Gate is the best place to start, with lots of notable places leading off the Placa (Stradun) road and regularly being of a non secular nature. Some of the grandest include the Dubrovnik Cathedral (Katedrala Velike Gospe), St. Blaise’s Church (Cvkva Svetog Vlahe), St. Ignatius Church and Jesuit Varsity (Crkva Svetog Ignacija i Isusovacki Koledz) and St. Saviour Church (Crkva Svetog Spasa). The Jewish Synagogue (Sinagoga) is another notable sight since it is one of Europe’s most significant still in use. At the Sponza Palace (Palaca Sponza) you will find an grand Gothic and Renaissance-style facade, with an important collection of manuscripts in the State Archives, with the oldest harking back just about one thousand years. More information about Dubrovnik Traveller Attractions.
Over the years, the city of Dubrovnik has led a fascinating and often chequered life, being a major trade centre in the 12 th century and a port city in the 15th century, enjoying much wealth at these times. However , disaster struck in 1667, when a devastating tremor just about annihilated the city, with just the Rector’s Palace and the Sponza Palace handling to stay standing. The city was subsequently rebuilt, though in a rather more uniform style and with much baroque design, and its trading powers quickly disappeared. At the beginning of the 1990s, Dubrovnik hit the news headlines when it was mixed up in the Yugoslavian war and many fine buildings were bombed. Today, all of these landmarks have been fully restored to their former glory.
The fortified city walls enclosing the Old City add a huge amount of medieval personality, being of grand proportions and originating from the 13th century, although earlier walls were built in the 9th century to protect against barbarian invasions. As you walk round the walls you’ll encounter the fortresses of Bokar, Lovrijenac, Revelin and St. John, while enjoying the city and seafront vistas. Other significant landmarks worth spotting in Dubrovnik include the Town Bell Tower, the Onofrio Fountains, the Orlando Column and the St. Lawrence Fortress (Fort Lovrijenac), which rules the western seafront and in the eleventh century stopped the Venetians from gaining power of the city. Additional information about Dubrovnik Landmarks and Monuments.
Those on holiday in Dubrovnik and trying to find information regarding its long and eventful history should head to the city’s museums. The Ethnographic Museum (Etnografski Muzej), the Franciscan Priory Museum (Muzej Franjevackog Samostana) and the Maritime Museum (Pomorski Muzej) are 3 of the best, with the second celebrating the city’s maritime heritage and found inside St. John’s Fortress. At the Dubrovnik Art Gallery (Umjetnicka Galerija) are several examples of fine Croatian art works, accompanied by regular short lived exhibitions. The Museum of Modern Art (Muzej Suvremene Umjetnosti) is another good gallery option for culture buffs, with its bounteous recent masterpieces. More information about Dubrovnik Museums and Dubrovnik Art Galleries.
The constant renown of Dubrovnik as a holiday destination has rippled outwards to the encompassing region, although fortunately mass tourism still has to arrive around the area now called the Dubrovnik Riviera. This Adriatic stretch is lined with attractions and short trip possibilities, with close by Zaton Bay being perfect for jaunts. Also inside comfortable reach of the city is Mljet Island, where a lush state park draws visitors. Simply a comparatively short ship trip away is the small island of Lopud, belonging to the Elaphiti Islands archipelago and renowned for its beautiful golden beaches, especially those around the Bay of Sunj. Though too far for a short trip to be practical a weekend break to the city of Split is really worth the effort, since Roman remains in Croatia don’t come much more spectacular than its Diocletian’s Palace. More info about Dubrovnik Attractions Nearby.