DUBROVNIK NERETVA COUNTY Trsteno If you’re on the edge of your nerves and even a stay in Dubrovnik brings no respite to your soul, it’s time to go green, get back to nature and indulge in a spot of tree hugging at Trsteno. It’s not only the terminally overworked who will be delighted by this historic arboretum - of course, for gardeners and plant lovers it’s unmissable. The centerpiece is a summer villa first built by Dubrovnik nobleman Ivan Marinov Gučetić in 1494. Rather than investing his wealth into a sprawling and luxurious home, he built a more modest abode and surrounded it with gardens in which his spirit could soar. More than one hundred years later, his descendant Nikola Vitov Gučetić composed humanist philosophical texts here. Trsteno was thus created by a man with a vision and aided by local sea captains who came home from their travels bearing gifts of exotic specimens. Over the centuries, many people have invested their energy and soul into these gardens. A sense of gratitude to nature and water permeates - don’t miss the baroque fountain at the foot of the stone aqueduct. East of the villa lie a grape and olive press, once shared by the local community. A little path leads from the villa to the sea where a pavilion overlooking the water offers a view encapsulating the true meaning of this place - botanical splendour on the lush, island-strewn Adriatic. In this part of the garden, you can also see the oldest tree in the arboretum - a palm almost 500 years old looking remarkably healthy. The arboretum includes the original 15th century garden laid out in renaissance style, with a geometric pattern of paths, a chapel, the fountain and aqueduct. There is also a newer garden (early 20th century) featuring formal and modern sections, with features typical of the southern Adriatic, plus a historic olive grove and natural woodland. Trsteno suffered quite badly both from shelling and from a forest fire which broke out in 2000, but Mother Nature has taken over and it’s clearly business as usual. A walk amid the beautiful, tall trees offers welcome dappled shade and the chance to enjoy the harmony of man and nature. The village of Trsteno is a m o d est li t tl e set tlemen t wi th a fine church, St Vitus, and two huge 500 year old Asiatic plane trees. By the waterside just east of the gardens is a remarkable but dilapidated fort, and a tiny harbour where a stream cascades down rocks into the sea. Magical.
Župa Dubrovačka The road south from Dubrovnik snakes alongside a broad bay dotted with some of the loveliest beaches to be found on the Mediterranean.Their white pebbles are probably the reason why the village of Srebreno was given its name, which means “Silver”. The water here is that perfect aquamarine colour so beloved of the holiday brochures. The town of Mlini is named after the water mills that you can still see here, driven by streams that race down the mountainside and emerge right on the beach, bringing the sea to a temperature that could be named “refreshing” or “freezing” depending on the hardiness of the swimmer in question. These resorts are not “fashionable”, one of the reasons being that this part of the coast was occupied by the Yugoslav army during the early 90s. The village of Kupari is all but devastated, as it was a military base. Clearly a dismal situation for the local people, with a once thriving industry lying dormant and some fine old buildings on the waterfront empty and pockmarked by bullets, but renovation is presently going on and things will get better.
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The Walls of Ston In an area known for its rugged natural beauty, few man-made sights are more magnificent than the grizzled fourteenth-century walls of Ston. For many years only a tiny stretch of this 5.5km-long line of fortifications was accessible to the public, but after a long period of renovation a significant circuit of wall was ceremonially opened to the public in October 2009. Visitors can now scramble around the ring of bastions that surrounds the town of Ston itself, enjoying fantastic views of the surrounding countryside (entry 10-30kn). The walls date back to 1334, when the Republic of Dubrovnik gained Ston and the neighbouring Pelješac peninsula, and immediately set about securing it against potential Venetian or Ottoman attack. The area was well worth the investment: the salt pans of Ston went on to become a key source of Dubrovnik’s revenue, and helped to keep the republic’s fleet on the seas. Spanning the isthmus that connects the Peljesac peninsula to the mainland, and consisting of 40 towers and 5 fortresses, the walls comprise one of the longest stretches of surviving fortifications in the whole of Europe. Local sources reckon it to be the second longest stretch in the world after the Great Wall of China, although this eye-popping claim was probably intended as an attention-grabbing ruse by PR-conscious tourist officials. In the event, we feel obliged to report that a few idle seconds of web-surfing revealed that Kumbhalgarh in India boasts 36km of surviving wall - although we didn’t bother investigating any fur ther. Info: www. citywallsdubrovnik.hr.QJune - July 31. Open 08:00 - 19:30. August - September 15. Open 08:00 - 19:00. September 16. - October 31. Open 08:00 - 18:00. We highly recommend these resorts for the following reasons. The bathing is superb (tingly refreshing, mmm!) There is plenty of excellent accommodation in private apartments, and prices are more than reasonable. With Dubrovnik just 20 minutes away by bus, this is a great place to stay if you’re on a budget and appreciate a quieter environment and clean beaches. Srebreno is the centre of this little region, and here you’ll find necessities such as the tourist information centre, banks, the post office and a large supermarket. Mlini’s waterfront is possibly the most unusual we’ve ever seen: a picturesque village aspect is created by a stream, a watermill and a massive plane tree dating back to 1752 right on the beach. Nearby Plat has a pleasant hotel complex with little villas nestled in leafy shade.
Tourist information Župa Dubrovačka Tourist Board
Šetalište dr.F.Tuđmana 7, Srebreno, Mlini, tel. (+385-20) 48 62 54, tzzupa-dubrovacka@du.t-com.hr, www. dubrovnik-riviera.hr. Q June, September Open 08:00 - 15:00, Sat 08:00 - 12:00. Closed Sun. July, August Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 12:00.
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