Dubrovnik Now and Then

Dubrovnik Now and Then - History tour about social and urban change in the 20th century

Dubrovnik is more than meets the eye. You'd be surprised by the level of change the city went through over the past 100 years. Did you know that the city walls weren't always open to visitors? Until the second half of the 20th century they were still a military complex closed to the public. This history tour focuses on the tumultuous 20th century and will show you how Dubrovnik changed socially, urbanistically and culturally.

Dubrovnik Now and Then will show you the main street as it looked like in the 1930s, lined with shops that catered to everyday people's needs. On this historical tour you will witness the fashion of the 1920s, you will see the lost monuments and demolished houses that made way for a new urban fabric of the city. We will tell you about communist statues taken down in the 1990s, sculptures that were seen as politically incorrect and lots more...

Did you know that there used to be a tennis court very close to the northern city gate? Today, it is a parking lot! What about the road that goes behind the old town? The guide will tell you about its construction and the idea to modernize the traffic in the city. We'll show you where the so-called Russian house used to be and much more on this history tour of old Dubrovnik.

The 20th century is unjustly pushed aside when reflecting upon Dubrovnik's history and this historical tour was created to give it the credit it deserves, for it truly was a century full of twists and turns, wars and ever-changing political regimes and it has definitely left a strong imprint in the mentality of Dubrovnik citizens as well as the very appearance of the city.

Itinerary:

1. Group meeting at Pile square, short introduction to the tour
2. Pile gate - how it appeared at the turn of the 20th century
3. Inner gate - the old demolished tower
4. The missing relief of King Peter - why was it taken down and where does it lie today?
5. The city walls - military complex closed to public
6. Stradun - historical change of the main thoroughfare
7. The old pharmacies - the place to hear the news and get your meds
8. The Russian house - the story about immigrants
9. The Fighter - the missing statue commemorating the partisan fighters in World War 2
10. The tennis court or how the gentlemen played tennis literally at the foot of the city walls
11. The Buža gate - the "hole in the wall" that we blame the Austrians for
12. The walk behind the Old town - the story about breaching the road to facilitate traffic
13. Return to Pile - the story about the tragic tram crash and the final stop of the tour

Highlights:

• Photo album with rare historical images of Dubrovnik in the 20th century
• Visit to places that experienced the most urban change

Duration: 2 hours  

Price: 180 Kn per person (23.89 EUR)

Meeting point: Pile gate, see the map for more details.

This tour is available on request only, upon availability check. Use our reservation system's BOOK NOW button to check the dates and times and inquire about the availability.

Take a look at the COVID-19 safety guidelines                              

The maximum number of guests per group is eight.