When we got back from this trip, people asked about my favorite port. I replied, without hesitation: Dubrovnik. Places like Rome or Athens have more significant history, other places have more sheer beauty, but Dubrovnik is a camera buff’s paradise. The wall around the city is completely walk-able, and the views are fabulous everywhere you look, from castle fortifications to secluded harbors to red tile roofs to a shoreline dotted with islands as far as the eye could see.
The cruise stayed here overnight, so we had 2 days to explore. The first day we hit the wall early, avoiding the crowds and the heat and walking the entire length. By early afternoon, we were spent, and had lunch at an restaurant that had been in business since 1836, then strolled the rest of the town before returning to the ship exhausted but happy. We also took a car ride to the mountain above the town. Photos were difficult gazing into the afternoon sun. We dialed it back the second day, taking a tour bus to nearby Cavtat, a smaller, more laid back seaside village.
Between us, we took about 900 photos. These are not necessarily the best, but were picked to try to convey both the scope and beauty of this fascinating town.
The walled ancient city is diamond-shaped from this angle, with the circular tower forming the right side corner. 
A more ground level panorama of the wall and ancient city. 
When Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia, the city was bombed mercilessly in 1991-92. Bright red roofs (the majority) are bombed houses that have been re-roofed. Faded roofs like those in the foreground were not bombed. This war was within our children’s lifefime. 
This small castle sits outside the wall and was a popular Game of Thrones locale. 
Not sure what this is, but it is a fascinating location. 
My favorite view of the wall and the corner tower. 
Rock-hewn openings delight the eyes at many points along the wall. 
The old city within the walls is fascinating in its own right. 
I love the architecture. 
Croatia has hundreds of islands, many uninhabited. They are gorgeous in the soft light of evening.
