REVISIT STON (CROATIA) WITH IVANA!

August 11, 2023

Do you like history? If you do, Ston is a must place to visit. Holding the record for the longest defence walls in all of Europe, Ston is an extremely attractive destination. It can also boost with thousands of years old salt works that are still operational. If you want to buy some organic and naturally produced salt, this is a place to do it. Speaking of food, did you know Ston is the place to get sea food? Organically harvested sea food is waiting for you in Ston's restaurants.

This is just a tip of an iceberg. If you really want to dive into Ston history, you need to learn about the history of Republic of Dubrovnik. You see, their histories are intervowen. Ston used to belong to the Republic of Dubrovnik. It is a place of unique beauty. Naturally, it attracts many visitors. However, it is still not too crowded. We visit Ston fairly often. Once a year on average. We visited it a few months ago, but also in Autumn 2022. These photos are actually from that Autumn visit but it was so warm it felt like Summer. So, I'm posting them today. I might add more info to this post so stay posted.

3 AMAZING HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT STON CITY

1. STON HAS THE LONGEST FORTIFIED WALLS IN EUROPE (AND THE SECOND LONGEST WALLS IN EUROPE BY LENGTH CRITERIA )

The Walls of Ston are second only to Hadrian's wall in England in length, earning them the second longest wall in Europe title. However, they are actually the first when it comes to fortified walls category. Ston boosts with the longest fortified walls in Europe!

2. STON HAS THE OLDEST SALTWORKS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA

Besides the impressive fortified historical walls, Ston also has the oldest saltworks in the Mediterranean. The salt is still harvested the same way in Ston saltworks!

3. STON IS THE SECOND FULLY PLANNED CITY IN EUROPE

Ston was modeled on Dubrovnik and built according to the plans approved by the Dubrovnik government in 1335 and amended in 1370. Ston city city was build, maintained and protected by the Republic of Dubrovnik. It is considered one of the best planned and best-structured cities in Europe. You could say it is a miniature of Dubrovnik, protected by Walls. Within the Walls, there are fifteen blocks, each consisting of ten houses. Two most notable buildings to see are the Bishop's Palace and The Republic Chancellery.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN STON TOWN? MY RECOMMENDATIONS!

- ENJOY STROLLING AROUND AND SEEING 'MINIATURE DUBROVNIK'

- VISIT THE 4000 THOUSAND YEAR OLD SALT PANS

- BUY ORGANIC SALT AND SALT SOUVENIRS

- ENJOY THE AMAZING RESTAURANTS BEST KNOWN FOR SEAFOOD

- VISIT MUSEUMS, HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND CHURCHES

- WALK THE FAMOUS WALLS OF STON

- PET THE VERY FRIENDLY CATS

- AND FINALLY TAKE MANY PHOTOS!

THE HISTORY OF THE WALLS OF STON

CITED FROM WIKIPEDIA:

The Walls of Ston (Croatian: Stonske zidine) are a series of defensive stone walls, originally more than 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long, that surrounded and protected the city of Ston, in Dalmatia, part of the Republic of Ragusa, in what is now southern Croatia.[1] Their construction was begun in 1358.[2] On the Field Gate of the Walls (Poljska vrata) there is a Latin inscription which dates from 1506. Today, it is one of the longest preserved fortification systems in the world.[3]

The Walls of Ston were known as the "European Great Wall of China".[4]

The wall, today 5.5 kilometres long, links Ston to Mali Ston, and is in the shape of an irregular pentangle. It was completed in the 15th century, along with its 40 towers (20 of which have survived) and 5 fortresses. Within, three streets were laid from north to south and three others from east to west. Thus, fifteen equal blocks were formed with 10 houses in each. Residential buildings around the edges. The Gothic Republic Chancellery and the Bishop's Palace are outstanding among the public buildings.

The main streets are 6 m wide (except the southern street which is 8 m wide) and the side streets are two m wide. The town was entered by two city gates: the Field Gate (Poljska vrata) has a Latin inscription and dates from 1506. The centres of the system are the fortress Veliki kaštio in Ston, Koruna in Mali Ston and the fortress on Podzvizd hill (224 m). Noted artist who work on the walls project are Michelozzo, Bernardino Gatti of Parma and Giorgio da Sebenico (Juraj Dalmatinac).[6]

The city plan of Dubrovnik was used as a model for Ston, but since Ston was built on prepared terrain, that model was more closely followed than Dubrovnik itself.

Ian Plummer (USA) currently holds the world record for fastest run over the wall connecting Ston to Mali Ston. The record was set on June 15, 2019. While the female record was set by Cora Taylor (UK) on July 8th, 2019.