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well-preserved buildings range from
baroque St. Blaise church to Renaissance
Sponza Palace and Gothic Rector’s Palace,
now a history museum. The limestone
paved roads of Dubrovnik is lined with
beautiful shops and restaurants. Explore
begins Baroque Dubrovnik Cathedral,
which is at the heart of the city, displays
a polyptych (multi-panel painting) by
renowned Venetian artist Titian artist as
well as more than two hundred gold and
silver reliquaries from 11th- 18th centuries.
Exploring Dubrovnik would not be
complete without a visit to the beaches of
the city. Many of the beaches are pebbly,
with crystal clear water. The nightlife of
the city revolves around these beaches in
its beach-side clubs and late-night bars.
The cultural aspect of the city comprises
of Orchestra, modern art museum and
many art galleries. The Dubrovnik summer
festival adds to this with open-air
music, theater, and dance shows. What
makes this city unique is the walls surround
the city which was constructed
centuries ago. These are a series of defensive
stone walls and are constructed
during 14th and 15th centuries but they
were continually extended and strengthened
up to and including the 17th century.
The next stop was a town named Split,
which is the second largest city of Croatia
and the largest city of the region Dalmatia,
with about 200,000 people living in it.
Split lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic
sea. The city is said to be one of the
centers of Croatian culture. The spot that
which excited me the most in this city was
the Cathedral of St. Domnius. It is a complex
of a church, formed from an imperial
Roman mausoleum, with a bell tower. The
church is dedicated to Virgin Mary and
the bell tower to St. Domnius. It is regarded
as the oldest Catholic cathedral in the
world that remains in use in its original
structure. The cathedral consists of many
Romanesque sculptures. The wooden
doors of the cathedral are the best example
for this. Two wings of the wooden
door contain 14 scenes from
the life of Jesus Christ. The
centuries-old building is no
less than a treat for a tourist’s
eyes. Another landmark that
caught my eye in Split is the
Diocletian’s Palace which
was built in the 4th century.
The structure resembles a
large fortress rather than a
palace. This is marked as one
of UNESCO world heritage
sites. I also visited the town
of Porec, which is on the
coast of the Istrian Peninsula
in western Croatia. The town
is known for housing the
Euphrasian Basilica complex
built in the 6th century. The
beautiful views in this town
draw visitors from all around
the world with its camping
areas, marinas, and beaches.
The Basilica was built in the
second half of the 4th century.
Because of its exceptional
value, the Basilica has been
inscribed on the UNESCO
world heritage list. I’ve had
this vague idea of exploring
Croatia for a long time, and
this trip far exceeded expectations.
I fell in love with
this country instantly. It was
the perfect combination of
glimmering water, rich history,
winding streets, beautiful
sunsets, and sweeping
landscapes. Croatia is the
true rising star of European
tourism. Croatia offers much
more than just sun and sea. It
gives you the experience of
a lifetime filled with culture,
nature, sports, scenic beauty
and much more. It is an
adventure that needs to be
discovered.
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