Hello all, we have seen old towns and walls in many western European cities, but not in Eastern Europe. Are the old town and walls in Dubrovnik about-the-same, or different than those in Western Europe? From Rick's description it sounds like those plus the beaches are the main draws and sad-to-say, we are a bit jaded on cute old-towns. Thank you.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4259 posts
Look at some pictures on line and see if it is the same. Except for a small portion of wall in Rothenburg, we haven’t come across any completely walled in cities you can walk around. It does take about 2 hours and in the summer is brutally hot - very few shaded areas. Can you give us some examples so we can compare for you.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
Have you looked at Google images of Dubrovnik and compared it with places you've already been? It's hard to compare all Western European walls to that of Dubrovnik - to me they all feel different (look different, have a different color, etc). and have a different history. Just like all forts are not the same, even though some way have a similar shape/configuration. Even within the Balkan countries, the walls of say Kotor or Ston didn't remind me of the one in Dubrovnik. If you're jaded with "cute old towns", what kind of old towns are looking for exactly? Because Dubrovnik is so compact and heavily touristed, the one downside is the sheer crowds. It is a beautiful place, I'm glad I went (once) but I wouldn't go again unless in off-peak season, if one exists.
If you ever get a chance, Valetta, Malta has really cool wall fortifications. I've never seen anything like it.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you both. Duh, I can't believe I didn't think to look at google images. It looks much more mediteranian than others I've visited - Malbork Poland has a complete castle, In England there is Conwy, Kilkenny and Cashel with castles and/or city walls. Mont St. Michelle is old town and castle. In Spain, Tariffa and Seville, Granada and Barcelona have nice old towns. So does Gerona (which is not in the RS recomendations but I think should be). Gerona also has a partial wall. Orvieto, Civiti and the Cinque Terra in Italy have old towns....you can see why I say I only feel the need to go if there's something different about it. :) In looking at the pictures though it does appear to be photogenic in a new way.
Posted by
Croatia
8 posts
Well, many would say "an old wall is an old wall", and they could maybe even be right.
Now, I wouldn't classify Dubrovnik as Eastern Europe, as you mentioned. It has a lot of Mediterranean influence, primarily since it used to be a republic on its own for a while, but then again I would say it differs from other Italian or Spanish counterparts.
But, as the other commenters suggested, your best bet is to have a look yourself via some images and decide on your own. (If you ask me, though, it's a really nice place and you should visit it if you can!)