Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a well-preserved historical city in southern Croatia, known for its distinctive 16th century Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls. After a disastrous earthquake in 1667, the medieval town was rebuilt by Baroque planners and the city’s historic core seems to have been suspended in time ever since. Set-piece churches and public buildings blend seamlessly with green-shuttered stone houses, forming a perfect ensemble relatively untouched by the twenty-first century. Its impressive historical buildings range from the Baroque St. Blaise Church to the Renaissance Sponza Palace and the Gothic Rector’s Palace, which is now a history museum. Add to this a few exquisitely manicured gardens and some panoramic views of the Adriatic, and it is not difficult to see why Dubrovnik has long been Croatia’s most popular tourist destination.