This morning, your guide will meet you at your hotel for an overview walking tour of the historic center of Dubrovnik, which is protected as a UNESCO Heritage site. Guests of Villa Dubrovnik areinvited to use the hotel’s private motorboat to transfer to Old Town and you won’t want to miss thisentrance into the historic district!
Begin in Dubrovnik’s main square – the Loggia Loza, situated at the eastern extremity of the Stradun –the centuries-old promenade which runs through the walled city from East to West. Your guide willtake you into the Rector’s Palace. The Rector was the highest authority in the city and his palace nowhouses the Museum of Dubrovnik. Over 15,000 works are on display documenting the economic and cultural history of the city. You can also visit the Dubrovnik Cathedral and its treasury famous for theancient relics including a fragment of the ‘true cross’ on which it is believed that Jesus was crucified.
If you like, you may visit Dubrovnik’s Sephardic Synagogue. The synagogue was established in the 15thcentury, survived earthquakes and wars, and is still in service today. Make sure to see the Franciscan monastery of the “Order of Minor Friars” (Ordo Fratrum Minorum) which includes one of the three oldest pharmacies in Europe, still serving customers. Part of the Franciscans’ mission was to take careof the health of the local residents, so they opened the pharmacy in 1317 and it has been in operationever since. The monastery contains numerous medieval pharmacists’ tools and medical books which belonged to the English kings’ physicians, as well as 10th-Century manuscripts.
Later, we highly recommend a walk into town and a walk atop the fortress walls surrounding the Old Town. Just over a mile long, this stroll will help you get your bearings and enjoy the splendid views of the historic Dubrovnik and the sea. The fortification includes several bastions, the tallest of which is the Minceta Tower, located just near the Pile gate in the north-western part of the town.
Note: All touring today is on foot on cobblestones. Please wear appropriate footwear.
Exeter Services: Guide (4 Hours)
Hotel: Excelsior