Not to miss

Franciscan Monastery & Museum

Next to St Saviour Church is the Franciscan Monastery & Museum. Over the door of the monastery church is a remarkable pietà sculpted by the local masters Petar and Leonard Andrijić in 1498. Unfortunately, the portal is all that remains of the richly decorated church that was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake. Inside the monastery complex is the mid-14th century cloister, one of the most beautiful late-Romanesque structures in Dalmatia.

Notice how each capital over the dual columns is topped by a different figure, portraying human heads, animals and floral arrangements. Further inside you'll find the third-oldest functioning pharmacy in Europe, which has been in business since 1391. The pharmacy may have been the first pharmacy in Europe open to the general public. Before leaving, visit the monastery museum with its collection of relics, liturgical objects, paintings, gold work and pharmacy items such as laboratory gear and medical books.

Rector's Palace

This elegant 15th-century building was erected on the site of an old fort in order to house the rector, Dubrovnik's ruler. Though predominantly Gothic, it also contains Renaissance elements, particularly in the lavishly sculptured capitals on the exterior porch.

Despite the mixture of styles, it retains a striking compositional unity. The interior atrium features a splendid baroque staircase and a statue of Miho Pracat, who bequeathed one tonne of gold to the Republic and was the only commoner in the 1000 years of its existence to be honoured with a statue (1638). The rest of the palace contains the rector's office and private chambers, as well as public halls and administrative offices. Interestingly, the elected rector was not permitted to leave the building during his one-month term without the permission of the senate. The palace is now a museum, with artfully restored rooms, portraits, coats of arms and coins, all of which evoke the glorious history of Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik City Walls

No visit to Dubrovnik would be complete without a leisurely walk around the city walls. Built between the 13th and 16th centuries and still intact today, these powerful walls are the finest in the world and Dubrovnik's main claim to fame.

The first set of walls to enclose the city were built in the 13th century. In the middle of the 14th century the 1.5m-thick walls were fortified with 15 square forts. The threat of attacks from the Turks in the 15th century prompted the city to strengthen the existing forts and add new ones so that the entire Old Town is now contained within a curtain of stone over 2km long and up to 25m high. The walls are thicker on the land side - up to 6m - but run 1.5m to 3m on the sea side. The round Minčeta Tower ( M01D8) protects the northern edge of the city from land invasion, while the western end is protected from land and sea invasion by the detached Lovrjenac Fort ( M01A4). The Pile Gate is protected by the Bokar Tower ( M01D9) and the Revelin Fort ( M01DA) protects the eastern entrance.

The views over the town and sea are great, so be sure to make this walk the high point of your visit. The entrance to the walls is immediately to the left of Pile Gate when you enter the city. You can also enjoy Shakespeare's plays, which are staged on the Lovrjenac Fort terrace during the Summer Festival.