Dubrovnik has an "Old Town" which is surrounded by high limestone walls and turrets. During the 1991 - 1995 war between the Serbs and the Croats the old town was almost completely destroyed. The Croats were unable to defend themselves because they had virtually no weapons, and the Serbs attacked Dubrovnik by air, sea, and land. They cut off electricity supply, food and water, and forced 33,000 people to flee from their homes. More than 300 young men were killed, and the lack of water was a serious problem. Eventually the Serbs were forced to leave and UNESCO provided assistance to restore the damage suffered by Dubrovnik to restore the beautiful old town. This work is still ongoing. Last night the power failed, which is a common occurrence because the wiring for the old town has not been replaced.
You will see from the photos that we caught a boat for a 1/2 hour trip to the large offshore island of Lokrum this afternoon, and also went to the top of the chairlift for an excellent view over
Dubrovnik Old Town, Lokrum Island, and the Adriatic ocean.
This morning we had a guide to take us around the important sights of the old town, and a walk around the top of the wall. This included entry to a monastery and the museum in remembrance of the men who lost their slives during the war.
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