Regardless of what certain guide books indicate, visitors can walk the length of the walls in Dubrovnik without ever descending to street level. The walls are 1940 metres long and along the way there are five bastions, as well as three round and twelve square-shaped towers, built between the eighth and sixteenth centuries. I decided to walk clockwise towards the Minceta Fortress and was arrested by the spectacular views of the Old Town and the entrancing pattern of reddish-orange rooves. The lanes branching off Stradun looked incredibly narrow, their grid-like plan a reminder of the strict planning regulations introduced as early as 1270 to monitor the town's rapid expansion. From here to the St John's Fortress is probably the most interesting part of the walk. To the right, the town feels close enough to touch, while on the left the walls are wide and massive.
In retrospect, walking the walls in their entirety would be a great start to any Dubrovnik orientation. It took me an hour and a half, including breaks for taking photos and admiring the scenery. Large tourist groups tend not to walk on the walls, an important consideration in the height of the summer with a couple of cruise ships in the harbour.
Julian has written articles on Middle Eastern and European architecture for the US magazine Skipping Stones. He has written travel articles that were published in The Toronto Globe and Mail, Fate Magazine, National Catholic Register, and Northwest Travel. Julian has also written articles for the In The Know Traveler, Go Nomad, InTravelmag, and Go World Travel websites. He has also taken many photographs that have appeared in travel guides by National Geographic, Thomas Cook and The Rough Guides. Examples of his work can be found at http://www.photographersdirect.com/sellers/details.asp?portfolio=13734
