Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, Croatia

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Dubrovnik, Italian Ragusa, port of Dalmatia, southeastern Croatia. Situated on the southern Adriatic Sea coast, it is usually regarded as the most picturesque city on the Dalmatian coast and is referred to as the “Pearl of the Adriatic.”

Dubrovnik (derived from dubrava in Croatian, meaning “grove”) occupies a promontory jutting into the sea under the bare limestone mass of Mount Srdj. The port’s sea fortifications rise directly from the water’s edge, and the massive round tower (completed 1464) of the Minc̆eta Fortress dominates the city on the landward side. The old city of Dubrovnik was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Pop. (2001) 31,756; (2011) 28,434.