CAVTAT

​This week we will write about small but historical city of Cavtat.
Cavtat is a city founded in the 6th century by ancient Greeks and has been given various names throughout the history, such as “Epidaurum“, „Ragus Vecchi“ or „Zaptat”. Today, Cavtat is a city that breathes its beautiful combination of the royal blue sea and thick greenery through which they extract old stone houses. It is situated in between two small peninsulas south of Dubrovnik. Now that you know the details, it's time to start your sightseeing tour of the bigger picture.
#HOW TO GET TO CAVTAT?
To get to Cavtat you have more options. The first option is to go with the local Bus line number 10, departing from the Central Bus Station and will take you directly to the center of Cavtat. Also, bus number 10 picks passengers at the station in front of the Cable Car Station, just above the Old City. The price of a one-way bus ticket for adults is 25 Kuna (about 3.50 Euro), and for children younger than 6 the bus is free of charge. The other option is by sea. From the old city port, during the day-to-day season there are multiple offers of boats that can take you to Cavtat, so you can enjoy a pleasant sail along the Adriatic sea by traveling from the big Perl to the little Pearl Cavtat. The third option is if you are travelling with a car, you can also come to Cavtat by road. By the bus stop in Cavtat there is a car parking, charged 10 Kuna per hour.

Panoramic view of Cavtat from south

​#GET TO KNOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE & HISTORY OF CAVTAT
Cultural and historical sights in Cavtat are famous artistic works of the past, which bear the style of the Renaissance period with traces of Gothic.
In the past, the Rector's Palace in Cavtat was the home of the guardian of Cavtat during the Dubrovnik Republic. The Rector's Palace also houses Lapidarium with excavations and monuments dating back to the oldest ancient times.

Boats in Cavtat harbour

​Also, the Rector's Palace today houses works by Baltazar Bogišić. Baltazar Bogišić is a famous world scientist born in Cavtat in 1834. He was a member of many European academies and was elected president of the International Institute of Sociology in Paris in 1902. He was a great passionate collector and guardian of folk folklore treasures. The Rector's Palace in Cavtat keeps its rich cultural heritage: a library with more than 22,000 rare and old books, about 70 incunabula, a rich archive collection of enormous value, a graphics collection with more than 10,000 copies, a numismatic collection of ancient money and money of the Dubrovnik Republic (about 1500 copies), an old weapons collection, an ethnographic collection, etc.

Cavtat promenade

Next to the Rector's Palace is the church of St Nicholas. The Church was built in 1484 and upgraded in 1737 when the bell tower was built. The Franciscan monastery houses the work of Dubrovnik painter Vicko Dobričević (15. St.) the famous polyptych of St. Michael,  and the cloister of the monastery counts among the masterpieces of Renaissance architecture.
The place we highly recommend to visit is Vlaho Bukovac's house. He was born in Cavtat in 1855 and was the most influential Croatian painter at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. Without formal education, during his visit to America, he discovered his talent for painting. His Cavtat house looks like most houses with basic backyard. But when you step into the house, you'll feel like you've traveled back into the past. On the first floor, you will be enchanted by the completely painted walls. The entire first floor is a portrait and picture of an intimate environment and a good insight into the growth and change of artists in all its stages of creation. The second floor atelier represents all phases of artistic creativity - Parisian, Zagreb, Cavtat and Prague. Bukovac connected this athelier to the house all by himself. The athelier was the perfect place to create eternal works, who wouldn't have the inspiration if on one hand you had a magnificent view of the blue sea and on the other side a view of the garden?!

​#SLEEP, EAT, ENJOY, REPEAT
Now that we've introduced you to the historical places and artists of Cavtat, it's time to rest from sightseeing and absorb every murmur of the sea. Along the sea surrounding a large part of Cavtat there is a beautiful promenade and we certainly recommend you to walk through it. Tall pines and cypresses with wild mediteranian vegetation on one side and on the other a beautiful, blue colour, coloured crystal-clear sea. While you are walking, you will find many beaches where locals like to relax and play water polo. When you get hungry, we recommend top-quality restaurant Leut where there is always fresh caught fish on the plate. Or if you are not a fan of sea food, you can always grab lunch/dinner at many others restaurants. The night life in Cavtat is really great. Starting from pop rock music, Latin rhythms, to live music and Croatian klapa songs, something can be found that will suit all ears. 

Panoramic view of Cavtat from a nearby mountain

​As hashtag says, we really hope you enjoy the small town of Cavtat and experience its true charms.