Splendours of Dalmatia Yacht Cruise with Dubrovnik & Montenegro - MS Adriatic Sun

Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Lying 216 km (135 miles) southeast of Split and commanding a jaw-dropping coastal location, it is one of the world's most beautiful fortified cities. Its massive stone ramparts and fortress towers curve around a tiny harbor, enclosing graduated ridges of sun-bleached orange-tiled roofs, copper domes, and elegant bell towers. Your imagination will run wild picturing what it looked like seven centuries ago when the walls were built, without any suburbs or highways around it, just this magnificent stone city rising out of the sea.In the 7th century AD, residents of the Roman city Epidaurum (now Cavtat) fled the Avars and Slavs of the north and founded a new settlement on a small rocky island, which they named Laus, and later Ragusa. On the mainland hillside opposite the island, the Slav settlement called Dubrovnik grew up. In the 12th century the narrow channel separating the two settlements was filled in (now the main street through the Old Town, called Stradun), and Ragusa and Dubrovnik became one. The city was surrounded by defensive walls during the 13th century, and these were reinforced with towers and bastions in the late 15th century.From 1358 to 1808 the city thrived as a powerful and remarkably sophisticated independent republic, reaching its golden age during the 16th century. In 1667 many of its splendid Gothic and Renaissance buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The defensive walls survived the disaster, and the city was rebuilt in baroque style.Dubrovnik lost its independence to Napoléon in 1808, and in 1815 passed to Austria-Hungary. During the 20th century, as part of Yugoslavia, the city became a popular tourist destination, and in 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the war for independence, it came under heavy siege. Thanks to careful restoration, few traces of damage remain; however, there are maps inside the Pile and Ploče Gates illustrating the points around the city where damage was done. It’s only when you experience Dubrovnik yourself that you can understand what a treasure the world nearly lost

Arrival in Dubrovnik

The Croatian island of Hvar bills itself as the "sunniest island in the Adriatic." Not only does it have the figures to back up this claim—an annual average of 2,724 hours of sunshine—but it also makes visitors a sporting proposition, offering them a money-back guarantee if there are seven consecutive days of snow (snow has been known to fall here; the last time being February 2012).

Stari Grad - This morning we’ll stop once more for an invigorating swim before we cruise to another stunning island in this incredibly beautiful archipelago, Hvar. Enjoy another delicious lunch on board before mooring later this afternoon at Stari Grad on the northern side of the island of Hvar. The literal translation of Stari Grad is the Old Town and it is indeed the oldest town in the country with the first settlers from Greece establishing a colony here back in 384 BC. Both the historical centre and the Stari Grad Plain were included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2008. A walking tour with your local guide will show you some of the highlights of the historical town centre. Pass House TVRDALJ, the summer house and walled garden of the 16th century poet and aristocrat Petar Hektorović and one of the most well-known buildings in the town. There is also the Dominican Monastery of St. Peter the Martyr as well as a wealth of cobbled streets filled with al fresco bars, cafés and restaurants. In your free time, you might just enjoy a stroll on the seafront promenade or perhaps visit the Monastery Museum with numerous works of art. The ship will remain moored in Stari Grad overnight for the opportunity to dine at leisure where you wish.

Off the coast of Croatia in the southern Adriatic Sea lie some thousand islands and the largest of them, Korçula, is considered the most beautiful. With an average of 3,000 hours of sunshine per annum, which guarantees a wide assortment of Mediterranean vegetation, it is not difficult to understand why seasoned travelers compare Korçula to a latter-day Eden. Separated from the mainland by a channel of only one mile, Korçula's main town, named the same as the island, ranks among the best preserved medieval towns in the Mediterranean. It is the island's main tourist, economic and cultural center. Thanks to its strategic location along the sea trade routes, Korçula has always attracted travelers and settlers. Korcula was founded by Greek colonists, who were followed by Illyrians, Romans and finally the Croats. The Korçula Statute of 1214 is one of the oldest legal documents to have been adopted in this part of Europe. The same century saw the birth of the famous world traveler, Marco Polo. The house said to be his birthplace can be seen in town. Korçulans have always been known as keen seafarers, excellent shipbuilders, stonemasons and artists. From their many voyages, sailors brought back new ideas, which eventually mixed with local customs. To this day, Korçula has maintained the tradition of performing knightly games such as the chivalrous Moreska dance, which has been in existence for more than 400 years. Visitors to Korçula enjoy its stunning location, natural beauty and medieval ambiance. And if that's not enough, the town offers numerous attractions that are within walking distance from the pier, including the City Museum and the Bishop's Treasury.

Hvar and Korčula - This morning, enjoy a visit to the bewitching little town of Hvar. Wandering here is pure joy and, remarkably, it’s so compact and cosy that the streets don’t even have names. With its freshwater springs, the island is unusually green, its hillsides boasting spectacular pine forests. Elsewhere you’ll find olive groves, orchards and vineyards, the aromatic pleasures of the island exemplified by the delicate fragrance of abundant lavender fields. Hvar has been inhabited since Neolithic times; later, the ancient Greeks founded a colony here, and during the 14th century, as the Venetian Empire extended its influence, it became a major naval base. Also on the island’s northern shores are some distinctive fortified 16th century buildings, built to repel pirates and assaults by the Ottoman Empire. After exploring Hvar’s agricultural, historical and cultural splendours on our guided walking tour, we’ll return to the ship for lunch as we sail towards Korčula.  Ruled by the Venetians for 800 years, it is rather reminiscent of a much smaller Dubrovnik, with its host of tangled lanes so typical of medieval Mediterranean ports. The town is a charming small fortress, celebrated for supplying timber for the wooden walls of Venice and its harbour was a major shelter for the Venetian fleet. You’ll find architectural gems at every turn in its narrow, cobbled streets. Famous for its artistic and musical traditions, Korčula has its own unique sword dance, the ‘moreska’, and a form of acapella singing, but is much more famous as the birthplace of the explorer Marco Polo. His house can still be visited, as can the Icon Museum with its glorious collection of Byzantine icons.   After our guided walking tour, there’s time at leisure to explore this beautiful town further, perhaps spotting a restaurant for dinner this evening. 

Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Lying 216 km (135 miles) southeast of Split and commanding a jaw-dropping coastal location, it is one of the world's most beautiful fortified cities. Its massive stone ramparts and fortress towers curve around a tiny harbor, enclosing graduated ridges of sun-bleached orange-tiled roofs, copper domes, and elegant bell towers. Your imagination will run wild picturing what it looked like seven centuries ago when the walls were built, without any suburbs or highways around it, just this magnificent stone city rising out of the sea.In the 7th century AD, residents of the Roman city Epidaurum (now Cavtat) fled the Avars and Slavs of the north and founded a new settlement on a small rocky island, which they named Laus, and later Ragusa. On the mainland hillside opposite the island, the Slav settlement called Dubrovnik grew up. In the 12th century the narrow channel separating the two settlements was filled in (now the main street through the Old Town, called Stradun), and Ragusa and Dubrovnik became one. The city was surrounded by defensive walls during the 13th century, and these were reinforced with towers and bastions in the late 15th century.From 1358 to 1808 the city thrived as a powerful and remarkably sophisticated independent republic, reaching its golden age during the 16th century. In 1667 many of its splendid Gothic and Renaissance buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The defensive walls survived the disaster, and the city was rebuilt in baroque style.Dubrovnik lost its independence to Napoléon in 1808, and in 1815 passed to Austria-Hungary. During the 20th century, as part of Yugoslavia, the city became a popular tourist destination, and in 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the war for independence, it came under heavy siege. Thanks to careful restoration, few traces of damage remain; however, there are maps inside the Pile and Ploče Gates illustrating the points around the city where damage was done. It’s only when you experience Dubrovnik yourself that you can understand what a treasure the world nearly lost

Dubrovnik - As our elegant yacht drifts on past the rocky shores of the beautiful Elaphite Islands, if the weather allows, this will be your last chance to take a swim off the back of the ship as if it were your very own! After our last lunch on board, we’ll arrive in Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik, an independent city-state for much of its history, has evolved differently to the rest of Croatia. On arrival this afternoon, we'll take a tour with an expert local guide explaining the city’s landmarks and intriguing history. The city threw off its Venetian shackles during medieval times founding a commercial empire trading with the eastern Mediterranean, France, Spain and later the Ottoman Empire. As so often happened, the city began to reflect its resultant wealth and today this wonderfully Baroque city proudly nestles behind its huge imposing ramparts in a situation of outstanding natural beauty. The main avenue, lined by intimate cafés, is completely paved with gleaming marble, which dazzles in the sunlight and gives credence to the city’s description as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’.

Backed by imposing mountains, tiny Kotor lies hidden from the open sea, tucked into the deepest channel of the Bokor Kotorska (Kotor Bay), which is Europe's most southerly fjord. To many, this town is more charming than its sister UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dubrovnik, retaining more authenticity, but with fewer tourists and spared the war damage and subsequent rebuilding which has given Dubrovnik something of a Disney feel.Kotor's medieval Stari Grad (Old Town) is enclosed within well-preserved defensive walls built between the 9th and 18th centuries and is presided over by a proud hilltop fortress. Within the walls, a labyrinth of winding cobbled streets leads through a series of splendid paved piazzas, rimmed by centuries-old stone buildings. The squares are now haunted by strains from buskers but although many now house trendy cafés and chic boutiques, directions are still given medieval-style by reference to the town’s landmark churches.In the Middle Ages, as Serbia's chief port, Kotor was an important economic and cultural center with its own highly regarded schools of stonemasonry and iconography. From 1391 to 1420 it was an independent city-republic and later, it spent periods under Venetian, Austrian, and French rule, though it was undoubtedly the Venetians who left the strongest impression on the city's architecture. Since the breakup of Yugoslavia, some 70% of the stone buildings in the romantic Old Town have been snapped up by foreigners, mostly Brits and Russians. Porto Montenegro, a new marina designed to accommodate some of the world’s largest super yachts, opened in nearby Tivat in 2011, and along the bay are other charming seaside villages, all with better views of the bay than the vista from Kotor itself where the waterside is congested with cruise ships and yachts. Try sleepy Muo or the settlement of Prčanj in one direction around the bay, or Perast and the Roman mosaics of Risan in the other direction.

Kotor Bay - Experience the delights of Kotor Bay today as we venture over the border into Montenegro. Arriving in idyllic Perast, where the grace of Venetian rule is etched in its architecture, you're greeted by traditional stone buildings that gracefully ascend the lush hillside from the shimmering waters. The scene is dominated by the spired tower of Saint Nikola’s, standing as a proud sentinel over the charming landscape. Perast is renowned for its manmade island, crowned by Our Lady of the Rocks church, with its striking blue dome. Legend has it that the island was created by local sailors who, after discovering an icon of the Madonna on a rock, began throwing stones into the lake after every successful voyage, ultimately constructing the church as a tribute for her protection. If you reach through a hole behind the altar, you can touch what's said to be the original rock! Inside the church and museum, there's much to admire - all donated by grateful locals – including a collection of paintings by Perast-born Tripo Kokolja, a 17th-century Baroque artist, and a dazzling tapestry embroidered by Jacinta Kunić-Mijović, who is said to have woven her hair through the gold and silver threads! We'll follow a boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks with a visit to Kotor. The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor is a World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1979. Its bay is dotted with sleepy fishing villages and charming old towns. The moated town of Kotor stands as a testament to Montenegro's rich history, showcasing Roman influences with charming Romanesque churches nestled within a medieval marble-pathed maze, including the magnificent Kotor Cathedral with its striking twin towers.   You can feel the echoes of four centuries spent under the Venetian empire, with remnants of a grand fortification system – featuring stone-carved ‘Lions of Venice’ – to defend the city from the sea. Enclosed by four gates which punctuate the ancient city walls as they climb steadily up the craggy mountainside, Kotor is impressively well-protected. Here, you can enjoy some free time to explore the cobbled streets and enjoy a spot of lunch in one of the many cafes. After a day full of stunning scenery and historic towns, we'll make the journey back to our hotel in Dubrovnik.

Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Lying 216 km (135 miles) southeast of Split and commanding a jaw-dropping coastal location, it is one of the world's most beautiful fortified cities. Its massive stone ramparts and fortress towers curve around a tiny harbor, enclosing graduated ridges of sun-bleached orange-tiled roofs, copper domes, and elegant bell towers. Your imagination will run wild picturing what it looked like seven centuries ago when the walls were built, without any suburbs or highways around it, just this magnificent stone city rising out of the sea.In the 7th century AD, residents of the Roman city Epidaurum (now Cavtat) fled the Avars and Slavs of the north and founded a new settlement on a small rocky island, which they named Laus, and later Ragusa. On the mainland hillside opposite the island, the Slav settlement called Dubrovnik grew up. In the 12th century the narrow channel separating the two settlements was filled in (now the main street through the Old Town, called Stradun), and Ragusa and Dubrovnik became one. The city was surrounded by defensive walls during the 13th century, and these were reinforced with towers and bastions in the late 15th century.From 1358 to 1808 the city thrived as a powerful and remarkably sophisticated independent republic, reaching its golden age during the 16th century. In 1667 many of its splendid Gothic and Renaissance buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The defensive walls survived the disaster, and the city was rebuilt in baroque style.Dubrovnik lost its independence to Napoléon in 1808, and in 1815 passed to Austria-Hungary. During the 20th century, as part of Yugoslavia, the city became a popular tourist destination, and in 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the war for independence, it came under heavy siege. Thanks to careful restoration, few traces of damage remain; however, there are maps inside the Pile and Ploče Gates illustrating the points around the city where damage was done. It’s only when you experience Dubrovnik yourself that you can understand what a treasure the world nearly lost

Dubrovnik - Enjoy a Dubrovnik from a different perspective today as we ride the cable car to the top of Mount Srđ. With views stretching over 60km away, it's no wonder the French chose this mountain peak to construct their Napoleonic Fort. Once a strategic lookout during the Croatian War of Independence, this incredible vantage point now captivates visitors, stunning them into silence as they soak in the sights of Dubrovnik and the expansive Adriatic beyond.  The rest of the afternoon will be yours to enjoy Dubrovnik at your leisure. Perhaps you could enjoy a spot of people watching as you sip a glass of Plavac Mali from a pavement café or, if you’re feeling more energetic, you could walk the full route of the incredible city walls, enjoying ever-changing views of this historic city en-route. This evening, you will savour a farewell dinner with your fellow guests at a traditional ‘under the bell’ restaurant - a traditional Croatian cooking method in which food is roasted over an open flame using a clay or wrought-iron bell-shaped baking vessel. 

Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Lying 216 km (135 miles) southeast of Split and commanding a jaw-dropping coastal location, it is one of the world's most beautiful fortified cities. Its massive stone ramparts and fortress towers curve around a tiny harbor, enclosing graduated ridges of sun-bleached orange-tiled roofs, copper domes, and elegant bell towers. Your imagination will run wild picturing what it looked like seven centuries ago when the walls were built, without any suburbs or highways around it, just this magnificent stone city rising out of the sea.In the 7th century AD, residents of the Roman city Epidaurum (now Cavtat) fled the Avars and Slavs of the north and founded a new settlement on a small rocky island, which they named Laus, and later Ragusa. On the mainland hillside opposite the island, the Slav settlement called Dubrovnik grew up. In the 12th century the narrow channel separating the two settlements was filled in (now the main street through the Old Town, called Stradun), and Ragusa and Dubrovnik became one. The city was surrounded by defensive walls during the 13th century, and these were reinforced with towers and bastions in the late 15th century.From 1358 to 1808 the city thrived as a powerful and remarkably sophisticated independent republic, reaching its golden age during the 16th century. In 1667 many of its splendid Gothic and Renaissance buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The defensive walls survived the disaster, and the city was rebuilt in baroque style.Dubrovnik lost its independence to Napoléon in 1808, and in 1815 passed to Austria-Hungary. During the 20th century, as part of Yugoslavia, the city became a popular tourist destination, and in 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the war for independence, it came under heavy siege. Thanks to careful restoration, few traces of damage remain; however, there are maps inside the Pile and Ploče Gates illustrating the points around the city where damage was done. It’s only when you experience Dubrovnik yourself that you can understand what a treasure the world nearly lost

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