Croatia Sailing and Cycling

We pass the fortress Lovrijenac The Lovrijenac fortress from the 14th-16th century is a mighty fortification of the old town of Dubrovnik on a high rock, which played an important role in the defence of the town in the past.

Entrance into the old port of Dubrovnik, view over the old town Dubrovnik, also known as the Republic of Ragusa, is a town in southern Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. The town is often called the "Pearl of the Adriatic" and "Croatian Athens" because of its cultural importance and its special political position over centuries. In 1979 the entire old town was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

we also plunge into the tourist hustle and bustle and walk on Stradun, Dubrovnik's main street in the back right the 31 meter high bell tower built in 1444. During the big earthquake the stability of the bell tower suffered, it tilted with the time and there was danger of collapse. In 1929 it was rebuilt according to old plans. PiP: another view of the tower

Facade and Tower of the Franciscan Monastery On the west side of the city, under the protection of the wall, there is the Franciscan monastery, a cultural and artistic historical heritage. Some parts were damaged during the century and collapsed, especially during the strong earthquake of 1667, when the magnificent church collapsed.

Dubrovnik city wall and fortification The city of Dubrovnik has the best preserved defensive medieval fortification system in Europe. About two kilometers long, it surrounds the old town of Dubrovnik from all sides and has become a landmark not only of the old town, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The importance of the defensive system is only evident from the list of numerous sieges of the city: Fifteen-month siege by the Saracens 866-867 Sieged by Venice 948 Siege by Venice and the Knight's Army of the Fourth Crusade 1205 Devastation of Dalmatia by the Mongols, Dubrovnik survived the siege Russian-Montenegrin siege 1806 Siege by the Austro-Hungarian troops 1814 Siege by the Yugoslav People's Army during the fighting for Dubrovnik 1991-1992

Now we have climbed the city wall and have a walk on it. from up here you have a great view over the roofs of the city. If you want to know what it really looks like in Königsmund ( Game of Thrones location ), you should visit Dubrovnik. The city with the magnificent old town, the thick city walls and the perfect location by the sea is ideal as a filming location and is a venerable backdrop for Königsmund, the capital of the seven kingdoms.

View of three striking domes and towers which clearly characterise the picture In the foreground on the right the dome of the Blasius church is one of the largest churches in the city. Saint Blasius is the patron saint of Dubrovnik. The Baroque church was built from 1706 to 1715 on the foundations of a former Romanesque church, destroyed by the earthquake in 1667. The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Left in picture Dubrovnik City Bell Tower In 1385, the Grand Chamber decided to build a city clock tower. Behind the largest tower belongs to the cathedral of Dubrovnik, is the bishop's church of the Roman Catholic diocese of Dubrovnik. The baroque basilica, built between 1672 and 1713, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1979.

Two pictures for the overview of the old town of Dubrovnik on the first picture on the right side you can see the Franciscan monastery, which is under the protection of the wall and the Minceta tower.

the tower of the Franciscan monastery close by The church and the monastery unite Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. The inner courtyard was used by the monks as a monastery garden, where they could cultivate herbs, which were important for the production of medicines. The remedies were used for the monastery's own needs, but were also offered for sale in the pharmacy located in the monastery. The pharmacy was founded in 1317 and is still in operation, although the products are no longer made from the plants of the monastery garden.

Bell tower of the Catholic Church St. Sebastian This 15th century church was built on a wall gate for good reason: Saint Sebastian is the holy protector against the plague. It is protected by the Dominican monastery and the town wall, in a pretty corner of the town.

After an impressive longer tour on the city wall now back again in the alleys of the city

After an excellent dinner now on the way to our boat after an exhausting long day

After an excellent dinner now on the way to our boat after a strenuous long day. Another look back at the fortifications of Dubrovnik near the Minčeta Tower.

Today at sea, past the island of Mljet. Mljet is the first larger island to be encountered when sailing along the Croatian Adriatic from south to north. It is the greenest island in Croatia with Mediterranean vegetation, clear and clean sea, gentle sandy beaches and rich underwater life. The island is also considered one of the most beautiful in Croatia. Mljet is famous for its white and red wine, olives and goat cheese. It is indeed an untouched island covered by a dense Mediterranean forest.

In the background our first goal Orebić Orebić is a small town on the Croatian peninsula Pelješac The city is located on the south side of the peninsula, protected by the 961 m high Sveti Ilija. Opposite Orebić is the important Adriatic passenger port Korčula, Orebić itself has a ferry port to the island Korčula and is developing - with one of Croatia's rare sandy beaches - again into an important holiday destination in southern Dalmatia.

Now we are with the bicycles by the woods on the way to the Franciscan monastery which lies a little bit elevated over Orebić

After a strenuous ascent through the wooded hills we reached the Franciscan monastery. The Franciscan monastery with the church "Madonna of the Angels" The 15th century monastery is situated above the village and offers its visitors a beautiful panorama over the sea to the island of Korcula. It was built from 1470 to 1480 at the foot of Saint Elijah and was under the protection of Dubrovnik until 1806, who wanted to keep the Venetians under control in Korcula. In the 19th century Orebić was home to many important captains and one of the largest shipping companies, the Associazione Marittima di Sabioncello, was based here. The characteristic women's costumes from Orebić show, among other things, this relationship to seafaring. The costumes of the captain women gave exact information about the social position and the wealth of their spouse. Legend has it that the Orebićer captains and sailors, on their departure for a voyage and return, greeted the Virgin of Our Lady of Andjela as a token of their gratitude and as a request for protection. The Franciscans responded to the greeting by ringing the church bells. PiP: in the inner courtyard of the monastery