Old Port of Dubrovnik

The Old Port of Dubrovnik is defined by the Porporela breakwater, a massive stone arm that curves out to calm the Adriatic swells. For centuries, this harbor served as the primary gateway for the Republic of Ragusa, where merchant ships brought spices, silk, and gold from the East. In the sixteenth century, the city constructed the Saint Luke fortress to guard the entrance, and sailors once chained the harbor shut at night to prevent surprise attacks from pirates or Venetian galleys.