Strutting on Down to the Stradun in Dubrovnik

The Stradun in Dubrovnik is famous for its cafe culture and medieval buildings and churches but there is one more thing that it is famous for and that is shopping. During the early hours of the afternoon just after lunchtime the Stradun willl be buzzing with shoppers from all over the world. Why come to Dubrovnik? Well, you will be surprised what you can find in this medieval thoroughfare. Let's take a look, should we?

Did you know that another name for tie is 'cravat.' The original name is French but the tie actually comes from Croatia. It was during the Thirty Years War that Croatians were spotted by the French Cavalry for wearing their scarves in a distinctive manner. The French Cavalry named the style, 'a la cravate' (the Croatian way).

All Croatian ties are made from pure silk and the best shop to buy them from is Croata on Pred Dvorom Street.

Jewellery
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Dubrovnik is a very good place to buy silver jewellery and there is a shop called Art Silver situated on Naljeskoviceva. Here you can purchase stylish bracelets and chunky rings. All jewellery is handmade and crafted from silver and semi-precious stones.

Vinoteka
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This is the Croatian word for wine shop and this particular one can be found in the heart of the Old City. It sells Croatian and Slovenian wines alongside olive oil and truffles. You can find the shop at the entrance of the Stradun. Dalmatian wines to look out for are the reds such as Plavac, Dingac and Posup. White wines come from Korcula.

Handicrafts
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Croatia has a long tradition of ceramics and wooden handicrafts. Replicas of Mestrovic sculptures are very popular in Dubrovnik. You can also buy dolls, wooden toys and ceramic hearts. The hearts go back to times when the families of sailors would donate gold or silver hearts to churches, as votive offerings to make sure the men safely return to their loved ones.

Other items to buy are Croatian spirits such as grape-herb and plum based brandies like grappa, travarica and sljivovica, which are drunk as aperitifs ir digestifs. You will see many a pretty bottle crammed with herbs. These lovely packaged bottles make a splendid gift. Another good Vinoteka is the large wine shop on Od Puca 9, and here you will come across the shops great range of good quality wines and spirits from all over Croatia. Attractively bottled spirits and oils are also available and if you are searching for the beautiful Istrian truffle you will be able to pick up both pastes and oil here. Be warned they are expensive.

So I hope I have been able to tempt you so that the next time you are in Dubrovnik you will consider strutting down the Stradun to do a little shopping.

There is definitely a cafe culture on the Stradun. As soon as the sun rises many cafe owners can be seen flinging tables and chairs out for the day. You have to be early and quick to find a seat and if you want to spend time watching the world go by then I suggest you stay put because it is definitely first come first served. Usually I am exhausted when I visit the Stradun because I have been travelling from another country or caught a very early morning flight so my first stop is always The Irish Pub. No, not to have a drink but just to sit on the benches outside. The guys who own this pub are very friendly and I have on several occasions nipped round the corner to the best sandwich shop in the world to buy a sandwich, take it back to the pub and just sit outside having my breakfast. Sometimes I buy a Guinness or two but if you just wanted to sit and eat your own food they are fine with this. Inside the Irish Pub is a busy bar which has live football and a lengthy happy hour (from 5pm to 8pm). English is spoken, of course, and it is situated at the corner of the second turning on the right of the Stradun.

If you want to be in with the in crowd and like to pose then go to the Cafe Festival. This busy cafe is housed in one of the Stradun's graceful stone houses and is the place to be seen. During the Dubrovnik Festival, you will have to be quick to snare one of the coveted outside tables.

Skola the best sandwich shop in Dubrovnik
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The sandwich shop I have just referred to above is called Skola and is situated on Antuninska Street. It is a very small shop nestled away in one of the medieval streets. If you manage to find it then make sure you make a note where its exact location is so you can return. It is amazing! I have never seen so many ingredients - various Croatian hams, cheeses, grilled vegetables,salads, sausages, bacon, sauces, pickles - the list is endless. You can mix as many different flavours as you like and the ingredients are served inside home-made Croatian flat bread which is like a mini flying saucer. It's like eating somehing Wilma would feed Fred (The Flintstones). The bread roll is about 5 times the size of an English one (perhaps a slight exaggeration there) and you can have it toasted or just as it is.. Anyway, the rolls are fantastic. If you carry on from the Irish Pub and then take the second street on your left and the first on the right - the shop should be there.

Dubrovnik, a Unesco World Heritage Site, has now fully recovered from the bitter Serbian and Montenegrin attack of 1991-92 and has been restored to its former grandeur. This remarkable former city-state has in its historic centre perhaps the most attractive and well preserved Baroque core of any European city, its furrow of churches, palaces and old stone houses neatly contained within the stone walls that have protected it for centuries. The city is sandwiched between an arc of limestone mountains to the north and the azure waters of the Adriatic to the south. Lord Byron named it ' the Pearl in the Adriatic,' and Bernard Shaw said, " Those that seek paradise on earth should seek it in Dubrovnik." Praskipark on numerous occasions has named this city as,' the Jewel in Croatia's Crown.' All great cities are described using cliches but the words used, corny as they may be, certainly do describe this particular city.

I have been visiting Dubrovnik and Croatia on and off for the last five years and I really love the whole country. I can't wait to get off the plane as soon as it hits the tarmac at Dubrovnik. I love the smell of eucalyptus and the warm breeze blowing in my face as I step off the plane. The sensation is breathtaking and every time I return I am just as excited as the first time I visited. I am like a child, full of excitement, can't wait to go out and play. I don't know why I love the city so much because it is overwhelming in summer with the number of visitors and sometimes can be extremely hot. I think because it always looks so perfect - it has looked the same since I was a child when I always had my head in a geography book looking at the brash, colourful pictures of cities and dreamt of all the places I would visit when I was grown up. Dubrovnik was always my favourite city and still is to this day.

For most visitors coming to Dubrovnik, the Old Town and the Stradun, the main thoroughfare, will be the first destination on their hit list.

The Stradun is Dubrovnik's main passage, cutting a pedestrian walkway straight through the Old City. It is a bit like a rabbit warren and you can get lost on some of the smaller streets that branch off but eventually you will find a way out of the labyrinth. I always keep my eyes peeled on the tall church of St Blaise which stands at the top of the Stradun.

This wonderful thoroughfare has survived the disastrous earhquake of 1667 and Serb shelling during the siege of Dubrovnik from 1991 to 1992. Today this smooth limestone walkway, with its mixture of attractive shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, buzzes with life throughout the year and I just love its ambience.

I find the best times to visit the Stradun are early morning and evening when it isn't so busy. In the evening it is especially beautiful when all the cafes, shops and restaurants are lit up.

If travelling by bus, the walk form the bus station takes around 30 minutes to the walls of the Old Town and the Stradun. It is a steep hike and can be quite tiring in the July heat but the walk is pleasant enough with views of the ocean on the right as you approach the Old Town.

Fransiscan Monastery
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This without any doubt has to be the highlight of any visit to the Stradun. I am only going to briefly mention parts of the monastery that I found interesting. I can't review each attraction in detail as the review would be too long. This is just a glimpse of what you can expect.

The dark cloisters and lush vegetation of this 14th century monastery conjure up echoes of the Dubrovnik of old. When walking through the cloisters you really do feel like you have either stepped back into medieval times or you are a thesbian acting out your Shakesperian role.

Whilst you are in the cloisters check out the frescoes of St. Francis which line the cloisters. They depict the life of this famous saint and all the animals he loved and saved.


The inner courtyard is the perfect place to view the Romanesque, 14th century cloisters (mentioned above) and they are worth scrutinising as the double - pillared columns are very graceful. The best time to view is early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds.

Belltower
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The dome-topped belltower dominates the western end of the Stradun and you can't miss it. It dates back from the 14th century and features again Gothic and Romanesque elements. It's presence is magical and majestic and towers over the monastery courtyard.

Chuch of St. Francis
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Most of the original 14th century church was destroyed in the Great Earthquake but the 18th century reconstruction of the lavish marble altars are worth a peep and the ornate organ framed by cherubs is ostentatious but worth a look..

Pharmacy
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Inside the monastery is one of the oldest pharmacies and the dispensary is still operational. I found this quite interesting as I like to know about potions and this was the original home to a collection of treatments dating from the 15th century.

Before leaving the Monastery take time to visit the Museum as there are a few displays worth looking at.

Monastery Museum
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On one of the walls is a famous painting of Dubrovnik which reveals how the city looked in Medieval times before the earhquake destroyed most of the city in 1667. Located below the painting is a book which has catalogued the devastation caused by 54 shell hits upon the monastery during the siege.

Nestled in a corner, by a bench near the entrance to the museum, lie the casings of some of the missiles that wrought havoc on this tranquil scene.

In the museum walls two shell holes have been left to serve as reminders of the damage sustained by the monastery. 'Black Tuesday' was the day (6 December, 1991) when Serbian missiles reigned down on Dubrovnik.

As I mentioned earlier about the pharmacy being worth a visit, here in the Museum is a creation of the original pharmacy and you can view row upon row of measuring instruments and traditional remedies, some lethal poisons.

Finally, I better not leave the foot of St. Blaise out. This is the most famous possession in the collection. It is preserved in a boot like gold and silver case. Weird but worth a peek!

Walking along Siroka Street in the old city of Dubrovnik, we came along a terrace that was absolutely full of tables and people tucking away at pizzas as large as flying saucers. There was a slight breeze in the air and I couldn't decide whether to sit on the terrace or go inside the restaurant. An amber glow from a Tiffany lamp caught my eye so I had a peep inside the door and the sight of the interior of the restaurant bowled me over. I was sold with the warm colours and the ambience and in we went to find a table for two.

The restaurant inside is seperated by a long bar on the left and the seating area on the right with an archway at the back where you can watch the happy chefs throw pizza bases in the air and then place them into the large oven on a long handled wooden type of shovel.

The overall look of the restaurant is rustic with wooden beams, antique tables and chairs being the dominant features which is very attractive in an old fashioned way. The walls are white and decorated with wooden masks, and scenes of Dubrovnik. Tiffany lamps filled the room with a mellow light and some candles were softly burning.

The head waiter promptly showed us to a table in the central area which had a wooden railing decorated with garlands of borganvilla. A candle was burning from the top of an old wine bottle. It reminded me of when I was a student and used to use wine bottles for lamps by inserting candles in the top. I have always loved bottles covered in candlewax. There is something medieval about it and I guess you can't get any more medieval than Dubrovnik.

The menu consists mainly of pizzas and various salads with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The selection of pizza flavours was quite extensive but I didn't spot any variety that I haven't noticed at other pizzeria's.

Usually we order one large pizza to share with a salad but on this occasion went wild and ordered two different varieties. My choice was a Hawajska pizza with bacon, ham and pineapple and my husband ordered a Quattro Staggioni which consisted of ham., salami, mushrooms and peppers. To accompany the pizzas we ordered a pitcher of house red wine.

While we were waiting for the meal to arrive we had two small beers which went down a treat and were delicious. The ambience in the restaurant was buzzing and very busy to say the time was only just after 8.30. The terrace outside was already filling up too and was a little noisy but not too bad. It all added to the fun.

The pizzas arrived on a large wooden board each and they had already been gently sliced into triangles.

Before tucking into my Hawajska I admired the colour and the thinness of the base. To touch the base was soft and fluffy - always a good sign. I was also pleased to see that the base hadn't been completely soaked in tomato puree as this sometimes puts me off - it was just the right amount. The bacon was curled up into tiny rolls and was crisp and well cooked. The slices of ham were a bit on the thin side and a little salty but okay and the pineapple was delicious mixed with the melted cheese. I had no complaints.

My husband's Quattro Staggioni was also excellent. The bacon and salami were tasty and the ham was the same as on my pizza so again too thin for him but he loved the mushrooms and they were sliced just the right size for him as he is a bit fussy about the size of mushrooms. The most dominant pepper was yellow so I think he was a little disappointed as he would have liked a bit more red pepper. Overall, though he said it was very enjoyable, light and airy and he didn't feel too full after he had finished eating.

I did peep at the people on the table in front of ours and they seemed to have ordered a vegetarian pizza between two people. It was enormous and filled to the top with all sorts of vegetables including asparagus but I bet they were tinned asparagus because I have never come across fresh asparagus all the years I have been visiting Croatia. Still they ate it all and seemed to enjoy the meal.

The wine was very smooth if a bit tannic but came served in an earthenware jug. The glasses were very pretty - a lovely royal blue colour. Very majestic.

Music wise - I found it all a bit hectic. Behind the bar are rows and rows of cassettes and CD's and by the end of the night I felt like the waiters had played every tape. Most of the music played was rock music which is okay in small doses but can get a bit monotonous after a while.

So to sum up the Mei Culpa restaurant in Dubrovnik I would say that it is a very attractive restaurant inside with beautiful lamps and a warm ambience and outside on the cobbled street is a bustling dining area that seats about 50 or 60 people. The pizzas are deicious and really are like Mama makes them - soft and fluffy bases with lots of filling and not too much tomato puree.

Expect to pay around £4 - £5 for a large pizza.