Originally called Ragusa, the city was founded during the 7th century as a refuge for coastal peoples fleeing the advancing Barbarians. Using its status as a crossroads city-state (with ties to both the Balkans and the Mediterranean), Dubrovnik would flourish over the centuries and come to rival Venice in terms of trade and influence along the Adriatic waterway. It's defensive walls were constructed between the 11th and 17th centuries. Today, the Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of its authentic medieval feel, the walled city was used in several scenes of the HBO hit series Game of Thrones. During the Serbian War (or Civil War) of the 1990s, the city was repeatedly bombed, resulting in damage to almost two-thirds of its historical buildings, yet somehow managed to survive the onslaught. Today, as in the past, the Old Town is a very popular destination in Croatia, and for good reason. Below are a few photos of some of the places I visited. I have not bothered to list the age of most of these sites -- many had to be restored after the bombing campaigns of the nineties -- but they've been around for centuries.