Dubrovnik riviera

Dubrovnik riviera is an area with extremely abundant vegetation, from indigenous olive, fig and carob trees, to exotic palms, agaves and cactae. Due to its heavenly beauty, a large number of beautiful summer residences with well kept gardens have been built here from long ago. Among the most beautiful of the rennaissance summer-house is Gučetić-Gozze, built in the 15th century in Trsteno which was in that era one of the centres of the humanist and cultural life of Dubrovnik. Its garden is a typical Dubrovnik rennaissance one, and is considered to be older than many more famous Italian and French rennaisance gardens. The summer-house with garden is within the impressive Arboretum, the one such arboretum on the Croatian coast, which is protected as a monument of garden architecture. The most emphatic sights in the Arboretum are Neptune's fountain, the neo-romantic garden from the end of 19th century, and the complex of stone steps which lead to a gazebo and terrace which offers a beautiful view of the sea and the Elafiti islands. In its centre, beside the coastal highway, you can see two giant plane trees, over 500 years old. Some way further north of Trsteno is Slano, the administrative and tourist centre of the Dubrovnik coastal area. Here are two hotels of which one has five stars and the accompanying tourist facilities such as the smaller harbours with mooring for yachts don't fall behind. Visit the Franciscan monastery there in whose garden can be found a few early Christian sarcophagae. In the surroundings there are a few very interesting early Christian localities, churches and secret stone tombs called stećak, which date back to the period from the 13th to the 16th century.

Almost as a suburb of the city of Dubrovnik, spread the settlements of Rijeka Dubrovačka – Komolac and Mokošica. Komolac is famous for being the source of the shortest river in the world – the 30 metre long - Omble – with which Dubrovnik has been supplied with potable water ever since the time of the Dubrovnik republic. Here there are also a few beautiful summer houses of whom the most impressive is the Sorkočević castle, today unfortunately somewhat ruined. In the immediate surroundings of the castle is the modern ACI marina. Summer houses are not lacking in Mokošica either. Most of them date back to the 16th century, and the most famous is Gučetić-Đurđević, in which in the last assembly of Dubrovnik nobility was held.

The fourteen islands of the magical Dubrovnik archipelago are equally rich with a diverse natural habitat and a monumental heritage. Once deer dwelt on these islands, which is borne out by the name, which comes from the ancient greek word „elaphos“ meaning deer. The first written documents about these islands date back to the 1st century, when Pliny The Older mentioned them in his book Naturalis historia. In the 11th century, they came under the authority of Dubrovnik, which definitely left the biggest mark on the archipelago as you feel today, even in the smallest villages, the strong urban spirit of Dubrovnik. You will aslo find here pre-Romanesque churches, fortified monasteries and churches, and the picturesque summer houses of Dubrovnik's nobility and aristocrats. Only the largest islands are inhabited; Šipan, Lopud and Koločep, while the rest like Daksa and Saint Andrew are only guarded by lighthouses. During the tourist season, these inhabited islands are orientated towards tourism. It is as if these islands were created for those in search of a peaceful holiday, with the biggest rush being immediately after the arrival or before the departure of the ferries, or when the locals and tourists gather for example for the evening, open-air, film projections. Given that the sea here is clean and clear, you can swim wherever you want, and for those who prefer beaches, the most beautiful sandy beaches are in the Šunj bay on the island of Lopud.