A global company Mercedes-Benz sent a lot of compliments to our city. On their web page, mercedes-benz.com they published a story about out city, which they called Fantasyland. Here is what they wrote about Dubrovnik, its people, customs, heritage, and tradition.
‘Ever since Dubrovnik began location duty for the fantasy series Game of Thrones, everyone has been talking about the Croatian city. Viewed from the ancient city wall, the Stradun – the old town’s main thoroughfare – looks like one long catwalk. Its paving stones have been worn smooth and shiny by the footsteps of millions of visitors, and cameras flash everywhere in the gathering twilight. 43,000 people live in Dubrovnik, but only 1,000 of them reside in the old city, which has been on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list since 1979.
Families with children prefer the newer suburban neighbourhoods further inland. Cars are prohibited in the old city; then there are the 160 flights of stairs to constantly negotiate. Only recently has a younger generation begun returning to the historic city centre and attempted to create a cultural counterweight to the myriad cheap souvenir shops – people like chef Vedran Perojevic, who serves up Asian-infused Mediterranean cuisine in his restaurant, Azur, or jewellery designers Simona and Marko Farac, who fashion unique creations out of coral, gold and silver. Even unassuming signs showing the way to the nearest hair salon are tastefully designed, with elegantly curved white lettering on red velvet. At the small open-air market, zucchini blossoms, peaches, candied bitter oranges and burnt sugar almonds lie atop wooden tables. A stroll through the old town reveals how important culture is to its residents. There’s an art gallery on practically every corner; the sounds of cello and piano music drift across from the former St. Catherine’s convent, which now houses a music school; a brass band plays on the Stradun… This small city boasts a symphony orchestra, a theatre, an academy of music and three open-air movie theatres; its summer festival of classical music concerts is a known quantity all over Europe. ‘ wrote Merecedes-Benz Magazine. They haven’t forgotten the Lokrum island as well – the island, botanical garden, our heaven on earth.
‘Near Lokrum Island, just across the water from the old city, the fisherman throttles the steady putt-putt of his diesel engine. This is where Game of Thrones scenes in the desert Kingdom of Qarth were filmed. In reality, the park-like island has its own botanical garden.’
What can we say? Thank you, Mercedes-Benz for such a great promotion of the Pearl of the Adriatic. And to invite you to read the entire article here.
