Dubrovnik, Told Properly: A Walk Through the Old Town with Ivan Vukovic

The stories behind the stone

The Republic of Ragusa (today's Dubrovnik) introduced the world's first quarantine law in 1377, to keep plague out without shutting trade down.

It abolished the slave trade in 1416, among the first states in Europe to do so.

It built a working sewage system in 1296. The city still uses it.

When the jugo blew, the Senate suspended political meetings. They believed no one could think clearly in that wind, so no serious decision was made until it passed.

On Žudioska, a narrow street off the Stradun, is the oldest Sephardic synagogue still in use anywhere in the world.

And the walls, nearly two kilometres of them, were never breached by a hostile army.

Why culture belongs on a yacht itinerary

That is why I like to include at least one cultural or historical experience in every itinerary. It gives the yacht journey more meaning, and it is often the part guests talk about most on the way home.

Dubrovnik Tourist GuidesWhy charter in Croatia

If you are in Croatia, Ivan is worth your time.