The walled Old City on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast that is a World Heritage Site is Dubrovnik. Its historic core sits beside the Adriatic and is enclosed by massive medieval defensive walls.
Dubrovnik developed from the medieval city-state of Ragusa, a maritime republic that prospered through shipping, trade, and diplomacy. The walls were expanded over centuries and include towers, fortresses, gates, and sea-facing defenses. Much of the Old City’s architecture was rebuilt or repaired after the 1667 earthquake and the damage suffered during the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s.
UNESCO listed Dubrovnik’s Old City as a World Heritage Site in 1979, recognizing its historic urban fabric and exceptional monuments. Trogir and Split are also Croatian World Heritage cities, which makes them plausible distractors. Trogir is a smaller island town, while Split is famous for Diocletian’s Palace; neither is the walled Old City identified here. Dubrovnik’s nickname, the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” refers to its setting and historic beauty.