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A Brief History : You don’t have to read this, but the information will enhance your understanding and appreciation of this beautiful city.
In Croatian, the city is known as Dubrovnik; in Italian as Ragusa. It was founded in ancient times probably by the Greeks.
After the Crusades, Ragusa came under the sovereignty of Venice. Between the 14th century and 1808, Ragusa ruled itself as a free state, reaching its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, rivaling with Venice and other Italian maritime republics.
It is interesting to note that the Republic was an early adopter of what are now regarded as modern laws and institutions: a medical service was introduced in 1301; the first pharmacy, still operating to this day, was opened in 1317. An almshouse was opened in 1347, and the first quarantine hospital in 1377. Slave trading was abolished in 1418, and an orphanage opened in 1432. A 20 km water supply system was constructed in 1436.
Many Conversos, Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal, were attracted to the city. In May 1544, a ship landed there filled exclusively with Portuguese refugees, as Balthasar de Faria reported to King John.
The catastrophic earthquake of 1667 that killed over 5,000 citizens and leveled most of the public buildings, led to the ruin of the Republic. In 1806, the city surrendered to Napoleon but after his fall the Dalmatian territories including Dubrovnik were annexed to the Habsburg Empire.
With the fall of Austria–Hungary in 1918, the city was incorporated into the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes later Yugoslavia. The name of the city was officially changed from Ragusa to Dubrovnik.
After World War II, the city became part of Communist Yugoslavia until 1991 when that state collapsed and the Republic of Croatia was declared. The “Bosnian War” followed, and Dubrovnik suffered artillery attacks that damaged some 50% of its historic buildings. The inflicted damage can be seen on a chart near the city gate, and is clearly visible from high points around the city in the form of the more brightly colored new roofs. Because of its well preserved cultural monuments, Dubrovnik is included in UNESCO’s Register of World Architectural Heritage.
The Walk:
The City of Dubrovnik is encompassed by two kilometers of fortification walls with several towers and bastions, of which the best known is the Lovrijenac Tower on the west of the City, with an inscription in Latin above the entrance gate to the tower which reads,
“Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro”
(Liberty should not be sold even at the price of gold).
The Min?eta Tower is on the north-west side of the City, and the Revelin Tower on its east. The walls were built from the 13th to the 18th century, constantly added to and strengthened, without ever having to be used thanks to the skillful diplomacy of Dubrovnik.
We shall start our walk through The City by entering the Stradun , the biggest, longest and widest street in Dubrovnik. It is the commercial, entertainment and spiritual centre of the city, frequently celebrated in song by its ancient and modern poets
On the left, as we enter from the Pile Gate, there is the beautiful Renaissance church of the Holy Saviour (Sveti Spas), about which it is said that the women of Dubrovnik carried the stones for its erection and strengthened the mortar with milk and egg whites thus enabling it to withstand the 1667 earthquake.
On the right we can see a splendid polygonal fountain, called Onofrio’s Large Fountain, named after its architect the engineer Onofrio de la Cavea of Naples. On the eastern end of the Stradun there is a second fountain, Onofrio’s Small Fountain, carved by the sculptor Pietro di Martino.
Next to the church of the Holy Savior there is a small and narrow street through which one enters the Franciscan monastery which, like the Dominican monastery, the citizens erected immediately next to the entrances to the City for defense purposes. The cloister and a part of the atrium of this monastery which is called “Friars Minor”, houses the pharmacy The slim double capitals in the shape of human and animal heads are especially noteworthy.

At the very end of Stradun, on its north-east side, stands the splendid Sponza palace, built during

Split

Split is situated on a peninsula between the eastern part of the Gulf of Ka?tela and the Split Channel. Two ridges separate it from the hinterland. With close to half a million residents, Split is the second-largest city of Croatia. It draws its name from the yellow spiny broom a common shrub in the area, after which the ancient Greek colony of Sp?lathos was named.
Despite its ancient history, the beginnings of Split are often connected to Diocletian’s Palace built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as a retirement palace in 305 AD. As we shall see when we tour the palace, it was constructed more like a fortress encompassing an area of close to 40,000 sqm. In fact, around 700 AD the palace was occupied by war refugees who converted it into a city –called Spalatum—that became the region’s capital city. As the world’s most complete remains of a Roman palace, it holds an outstanding place in Mediterranean, European and world heritage. The impressive peristyle, or columned inner courtyard is unique. Today the palace constitutes the inner core of the city, still inhabited, full of shops, markets, squares, with the ancient Cathedral of St. Duje inserted in the corridors and floors of the former palace.
The cathedral is named after Saint Duje patron saint of Split, martyred with seven other Christians in the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian. The Cathedral is composed of three different sections of different ages. The main part is Emperor Diocletian’s mausoleum, built like the rest of the palace with white local limestone and marble of high quality. Later, in the 17th century a chorus was added to the eastern side of the mausoleum.
The beautiful Romanesque Bell Tower was constructed in the year 1100 AD. Especially noteworthy are the wooden doors on Cathedral of St. Duje, made around 1220 containing 14 scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, separated by rich ornaments in wood. The Cathedral’s treasury contains sacral art works from the 11th to the 19th century.
During medieval and early modern times, the whole region came under the influence and sometimes rule of Venice and the Venetian style can easily be discerned.
After the end of World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, the province of Dalmatia, along with Split, became a part of the Yugoslavia and its most important port. After World War II, Split experienced its largest economic and demographic boom. The shipbuilding industry was particularly successful The Bosnian war in the 1990s caused economic recession. In the years following 2000, Split finally started to develop again, with a focus on tourism. An example of the latest large city projects is the Spaladium Arena, built in 2009.

Trogir

(population 13,000) lies 27 kilometres west of Split. The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of ?iovo.
Trogir has a 2300 years of continuous urban tradition. Its culture was created under the influence of old Greeks, Romans, and Venetians. Trogir is the best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex of Central Europe. Trogir’s medieval core, surrounded by walls, comprises a preserved castle and tower and a series of dwellings and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Trogir’s grandest building is the church of St. Lawrence, whose main west portal is a masterpiece by Radovan, and the most significant work of the Romanesque-Gothic style in Croatia. In 1997 it was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Tourism is the most important economic factor in the Trogir region, followed by the shipbuilding industry, agriculture and fishing.
We continue inland to

Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park the largest national park in Croatia, world famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, 16 lakes can be seen from the surface. These lakes are a result of the confluence of several small rivers and subterranean karst rivers. The lakes are all interconnected and follow the water flow. They are separated by natural dams of limestone, deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
Day 5, (Wed) SLOVENIA to Opatija, Postojna and Bled
Return to the coast and travel along the beautiful bay of Kvarner to its popular resort,

Opatija.
Opatija is a popular summer and winter resort situated in the Gulf of Kvarner. The name probably derives from the Benedictine Abbey of St. James first mentioned in 1453 (Opatija = Abbey in Croatian). The town’s modern history begins in 1844, when the rich merchant Iginio Scarpa founded Villa Angiolina. Opatija soon became popular as an exclusive resort amongst the Austro-Hungarian royal family. Emperor Franz Josef himself was a regular visitor, frequently joined by the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Leading cultural figures were drawn here too, including Playwright Anton Chekhov, composer Gustav Mahler, Nobel-prize-winning novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz and dancer Isadora Duncan. Opatija is also known for the Maiden with the seagull, a statue by Zvonko Car (1956),

Words on a page can hardly do justice to the majesty of Postojna. So far, more than 20 kms of galleries have been found and we shall tour through the most spectacular parts of the cave, by a little narrow-gauge train. Formed over millions of years by the Pivka river, the cave was discovered in the 17th century, and opened as a tourist attraction in 1819, with Franz I, Emperor of Austria, among the first to visit. Highlights of the cave include the enormous stalactites and stalagmites, and the quite sensational concert hall, which can (and does) hold 10,000 people.. Note that the temperature of the cave is a chilly 10 degrees Centigrade, so bring something warm.

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia.
Lubljana started out as a marsh dweller’s hamlet. It has had a turbulent history of wars, migrations, religious conversion and several earthquakes which account for the heterogeneous architectural styles. Today Lubljana has a population of approximately 300,000 people.
We shall take a walking tour of the city, to visit its most significant sights:
Triple Bridge designed by Jo?e Ple?nik, consists of three separate picturesque bridges located next to one another. The neighboring Pre?eren square with the statue of Slovenian greatest poet France Pre?eren is the central location of downtown Ljubljana and a common meeting point. From here, we cross the Ljubljanica river to visit Open Market and the Dragon Bridge, guarded by four detailed dragon statues from the city’s coat-of-arms.
Old Town. Squeezed between the castle hill and Ljubljanica river is the old town with two squares: City square with the Robba fountain and the city hall behind it, and, farther on, Upper square Well preserved medieval buildings now house local designer shops, and several popular cafes and restaurants.
Ljubljana Castle the biggest castle of the city. Built in the middle of the 15th century, it offers an outstanding view over the city, a romantic atmosphere and a place of numerous cultural events.
Square of the Republic. Where crowds gathered as Slovenia announced its independence from the Yugoslav Federation in 1991. Across the road is the Slovene Parliament. Its facade is decorated with artistic nude statues of Slovenes at work and leisure. The square also houses the International Business CentreMetelkova City. A self-declared autonomous culture place to gather for alternative artists, many subcultures and youth. What used to be a military barracks is now full of underground artists, bars and nightclubs.

Zagreb.

Its favourable geographic position provides an excellent connection between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea. This, together with concentration of industry, scientific and research institutions underlie its leading economic position in Croatia. Zagreb is the seat of the central government, and administrative bodies.
The city boasts a charming medieval ‘old city’ with architecture and cobbled streets reminiscent of Vienna, Budapest, Prague and other Central-European capitals. Our walking tour will include:
Gornji grad, (Upper Town) and Donji grad (Lower Town), the cultural, religious, and commercial hubs of Zagreb. These are where most of the restaurants, bars and tourist sights are located. The Upper Town, the medieval core of the city, developed as two separate (and often warring) towns – Kaptol, the seat of the Bishop (where the imposing Cathedral now stands), and Gradec, and the free town where tradesmen and artisans lived. They merged in the 1770s to form the northern section of historic

The medieval Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Its twin spires make it the most visited attraction in Zagreb. It has undergone several reconstructions but alterations have retained the medieval design.
St. Mark’s Church can be recognized easily by the checkered design on its roof depicting coats of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia, Savonia, and Zagreb city. The history of the church dates back to the 11th century but since then, many alterations and renovations have completely altered the structure.
After the guided tour, take time off to wander through the old town or take a tour to the green parks surrounding Zagreb.