At 4 and a half miles, The Walls of Ston are one of the longest, preserved, fortification systems in the world. While already well protected, the Republic of Ragusa - and Florentine architect Michelozzo - used the peninsula to build another line of defense at its narrowest point just before it joins the mainland. The wall stretches from Ston to Mali Ston. When the republic fell, Austria would take materials away from the wall to build schools and community buildings.
The walls also protected Ston’s major export - salt. The protection of the saltworks was vital to the republic.
Between 1991-1995, Ston - and the city walls - would act as a buffer protecting the island of Kocula from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and other local Serb forces during the Croatian War of Independence.
The city of Korcula is one of the most thoughtfully planned cities I’ve visited. The streets are arranged in a herringbone pattern allowing for free circulation of air but protecting against strong winds. They planned for a sewer system as early as the 14th Century, as well as dedicated separate spaces for people, livestock, and agriculture.
The Cathedral of Saint Mark’s is a lesson in commitment to craft. The Gothic-Renaissance church was constructed over hundreds of years. It was a generational project. Masons who began work in the early 1400s knew they wouldn’t see it completed. That it would be their grandchildren that would finish their work. They meticulously cut the limestone by hand, passed on their skill, and signed their work. We don’t have that kind of generational thinking or commitment anymore. We should.
The Croatian towns of Cara and Smokvinka are less than four kilometers apart and share a particular point of pride - wine. I’d advise against siting at a cafe in one town and discussing how great the wine is in the other. Cara and Smokvinka - and all of Croatia - should certainly be proud of their wine. With more than 2,500 years of history, 300 regions, and 130 indigenous grape varieties, you’d be hard pressed not to find a glass you love! Locals often drink wine with meals and sometimes the wine is mixed with sparkling water—producing a drinks known as gemist. It’s delicious.
