Jul 19 2011
Get A Deal If You Set Sail On This Mediterranean Cruise.
Costa Cruises’ Costa Favolosa made its debut July two in Trieste, Italy and the line has launched an one-week sale ending July 5 for select summer and fall Mediterranean schedules on a variety of ships. The sale includes Costa Favolosa’s seven-night eastern Mediterranean cruises from Venice calling at : Bari, Italy ; Katakolon, Greece ; Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey ; and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Also on sale are seven-night Mediterranean sailings on Costa Serena, Costa Concordia, Costa Magica, Costa Romantica, Costa Victoria and Costa Fortuna, as well as Costa Concordia’s seven- to 10-night winter Mediterranean sailings from Civitavecchia (Rome). Sale fares begin at $429 an individual (double occupancy) for the seven-night summer and fall schedules, and $559 for the seven- to 10-night winter schedules, not including air. For full info, call 1-800-GO-COSTA or visit costacruises.com, writes tagza.com.
The Croatian walled town of Dubrovnik sits on a spur jutting out into the Adriatic Sea, in the far south of the country. One of the busiest and most popular visitor destinations on the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik has a prospering port and is now a respected UNESCO World Heritage site. Historically a major maritime trading centre, in the Middle Ages this shocking city became the only Adriatic city-state to rival the might of Venice. Its great periods were during the fifteenth and 16th centuries, and much of the majesty of those times remains today.
Known as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic ‘, this interesting town is a centre for visitors, with its impressive Old Town crammed with heritage architecture, forts, museums and palaces, their superb interiors a testimony to the wealth of the town. Protected still by its traditional town walls, Old Dubrovnik is a perfect destination for history buffs.
Both Catholic and Serbian Orthodox cathedrals and churches tower over the terracotta roofs of the old buildings and, when sight-seeing gets tiring, Dubrovnik’s pebble beaches and warm seas give a calming change of focus. Of note, visitor information is available at the city’s many tourism outlets, with some of the most well liked being found at Gruz Harbor, along the Old Town’s Ulica Svetog Dominika, and on the Setaliste Kralja Zvonimira, in the Lapad promontory.
Many appealing family beaches skirt the peninsula, with the hottest being fronted by resort-style hostels and tropical palm trees. The coastline around Dubrovnik comprises a diversified mixture of Adriatic beaches, some sandy, others made from pebbles and little rocks. Positioned on the eastern side of the Old Harbour, Banje Beach is conveniently close to the action and features great views across the Old Town. Connected by a coastal pathway, the Lapad beaches are especially fascinating, with their fine sand and seafood restaurants , while at the Sveti Jakov Beach you can have a go at jet skiing and other fun water-based activities. More information about Dubrovnik Beaches.
Considering its size, the sight-seeing opportunities in Dubrovnik are gigantic. When you first arrive in the town, a walking tour of the Old Town comes strongly recommended, being led by experienced guides and leaving every day from the Latino Club Fuego. If you prefer to explore more at your leisure, then the Pile Gate is a good place to start, with several places of interest leading off the Placa (Stradun) road and regularly being of a religious nature. Some of the grandest include the Dubrovnik Cathedral (Katedrala Velike Gospe), St. Blaise’s Church (Cvkva Svetog Vlahe), St. Ignatius Church and Jesuit University (Crkva Svetog Ignacija i Isusovacki Koledz) and St. Saviour Church (Crkva Svetog Spasa). The Jewish Synagogue (Sinagoga) is another notable sight since it is one of Europe’s most historical still in use. At the Sponza Palace (Palaca Sponza) you’ll find an imposing Gothic and Renaissance-style cover, along with an important collection of manuscripts within the State Archives, with the oldest going back just about one thousand years. Additional information about Dubrovnik Visitor Attractions.
Over the years, the town of Dubrovnik has led a fascinating and frequently chequered life, being a major trade centre in the 12th century and a port city in the fifteenth century, enjoying much prosperity at these times. Nevertheless disaster struck in 1667, when a fatal earthquake just about annihilated the town, with just the Rector’s Palace and the Sponza Palace handling to stay standing. The town was subsequently rebuilt, though in a more uniform style and with much baroque architecture, and its trading powers quickly disappeared. At the start of the 1990s, Dubrovnik hit the news reports when it was involved in the Yugoslavian war and many fine buildings were bombed. Today, all these landmarks have been fully revived to their previous glory.
The fortified city walls enclosing the Old Town add a huge amount of medieval personality, being of grand proportions and originating from the 13th century, although earlier walls were built in the 9th century to guard against barbarous invasions. As you walk around the walls you’ll encounter the fortresses of Bokar, Lovrijenac, Revelin and St. John, whilst enjoying the town and seafront vistas. Other major landmarks worth spotting in Dubrovnik include the Town Bell Tower, the Onofrio Fountains, the Orlando Column and the St. Lawrence Fortress (Fort Lovrijenac), which rules the western seafront and in the 11th century forestalled the Venetians from gaining power of the city. More information about Dubrovnik Landmarks and Monuments.
Those on holiday in Dubrovnik and trying to find info about its long and eventful history should head to the city’s museums. The Ethnographic Museum (Etnografski Muzej), the Franciscan Priory Museum (Muzej Franjevackog Samostana) and the Maritime Museum (Pomorski Muzej) are 3 of the best, with the latter celebrating the city’s maritime heritage and located inside St. John’s Fortress. At the Dubrovnik Art Gallery (Umjetnicka Galerija) are several examples of fine Croatian art works, accompanied by regular short lived exhibitions. The Museum of Modern Art (Muzej Suvremene Umjetnosti) is another good gallery option for culture buffs, with its plentiful contemporary masterpieces. More info about Dubrovnik Museums and Dubrovnik Art Galleries.
The constant recognition of Dubrovnik as a holiday destination has rippled outwards to the encircling region, although happily mass tourism still has to arrive around the area now called the Dubrovnik Riviera. This Adriatic stretch is covered with attractions and day trip chances, with close by Zaton Bay being ideal for jaunts. Also inside comfortable reach of the town is Mljet Island, where a lush nationwide park draws visitors. Merely a comparatively short boat trip away is the little island of Lopud, belonging to the Elaphiti Islands archipelago and renowned for its gorgeous sandy beaches, especially those round the Bay of Sunj. Although too far for a day trip to be practical a weekend break to the town of Split is really worth the effort, since Roman remains in Croatia don’t come much more spectacular than its Diocletian’s Palace. More info about Dubrovnik Attractions Close by.
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