The massive city walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia, defended the former free maritime Republic of Ragusa, but in the 1990s Croatian War of Independence, they gave scant protection against modern artillery. The Old Town took 650 hits as Croatian troops withstood the Serb-led Yugoslav People’s Army for seven months. More than half the buildings were destroyed or damaged and UNESCO-led restoration then took four years.


Dubrovnik, Croatia: for centuries, city walls up to 6 m (20 ft) thick helped the free maritime Republic of Ragusa to defy attackers and maintain its independence for centuries. However, during the Croatian War of Independence in the early 1990s, the walls provided scant protection against modern artillery shells. In 1991-2, the historic Old Town with its distinctive red roofs suffered 650 hits as Croatian troops defied an intense bombardment to hold out for seven months against the Serb-led Yugoslav People’s Army. More than half of its buildings were either destroyed or damaged, requiring a four-year restoration programme under the guidance of UNESCO experts. On a typical peacetime summer’s day, lines of small boats fill much of the Old Harbour and motor launches ferry tourists from cruise ships to the quayside for tours of the historic city.


Size: 4220px × 2808px
Location: Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik-Neretva county, Croatia.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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