Dubrovnik is a hidden city within stone walls, with an open heart that welcomes visitors from all over the world. The whole city is facing the sun and the sea, the sky is clear blue and the turquoise-green and dark blue color of the sea along the rocky shores and beaches look stunning. Thirty years ago, the city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its numerous churches, museums and fortresses enchant every visitor. Today, Dubrovnik is one of the world's tourism centers, where people from all over the world meet.
Orlando’s Column is located on the Stradun, in front of the Sveti Vlah church, where a pillory once stood. It depicts a medieval knight carrying a sword and a shield. It was designed by Italian master Bonino di Jacopo da Milano around the year 1417, and is the oldest preserved sculpture in Dubrovnik. Many lives were ended prematurely at the spot as a warning to all who might want to do something illegal or harmful to the Republic of Ragusa. The spot is also where many floggings and hitting of transgressors over the face with hot objects took place as punishment for their deeds. In addition to this, the column also served as a place from which proclamations and important news were transferred to the public.
Dubrovnik Clocktower is located on the east side of the Placa. It was constructed in 1929 and is 26m tall from bottom to dome. The Zelenci, which is the name of the figures who toll the bell, and who bear traditional Dubrovnik names of Maro and Baro, depict Roman soldiers. They are covered in a greenish patina which gave them their name (Zelenci roughly translates as “the green ones“). It is unknown who had made these figures, as we lack any historical records on their construction, but we do know that the massive, two-ton bell that the figures toll was made by Ivan Rabljanin. At the start of the 19th century, the tower started leaning towards the Stradun due to several strong earthquakes that hit Dubrovnik at the time.
The Maritime Museum was established in 1949 and is located in the Fortress of Saint Ivan. The museum is one of the largest and most significant maritime museums in the east Adriatic, containing more than 7 thousand items ranging from antique times to the present. The museum tells the story of famous Dubrovnik sea captains and sailors and their past and tradition. The museum is divided into two levels, which contain the following: the first floor displays the development of Dubrovnik ship building and faring from their onset to the birth of the Republic of Ragusa; the second floor displays Dubrovnik’s maritime life between the 19th century and the year 1991. The museum contains many shipwrecks which are displayed in Dubrovnik’s aquatorium.
The Aquarium is located inside the Fortress of Saint Ivan. Visitors will be able to see 31 different aquarium pools, which are inhabited by various and many animal and plant species from the Adriatic. In addition to this, they will be able to see corals shaped like flower bushes, starfish, sea urchins, snails, shells, crabs etc. One special inhabitant of the museum is the seahorse, who is the symbol of the aquarium.
