Wander & Wonder Travel Newsletter

Hey StoryHunter

Do you want to fight dragons and defend The Seven Kingdoms?

Then head for Dubrovnik in Croatia, which was the main filming location for the Game of Thrones series – thanks to its massive stone walls, polished limestone streets, and baroque facades glowing in the sun.  

And even if you aren’t that into fantasy, Dubrovnik still has a lot to offer.

On World Heritage Day this week, Dubrovnik is the perfect place to celebrate and wander through the cultural heritage, which holds beauty, treasures, and curses.

Read on to learn about:

☠️ The monks’ curse
🦠 The original quarantine
👺 A mask of luck

Explore Dubrovnik with the new StoryHunt app

Now you can get tailored tours anywhere in the world 🌍

We've launched the new StoryHunt app, and we're so excited for you to try it!

It has a lot more features, a cool interactive map, and everything you need to explore the world in a new, exciting way.

Destination of the Week

Behind the polished stone and postcard views lies a place shaped by diplomacy and self-preservation.

Dubrovnik was a small republic that survived for centuries by trading between East and West - while staying independent under much larger powers.

You can walk the monumental fortifications – like the Lovrjenac Fortress by the sea - and understand, what it meant for this place to protect itself.

And you can wander Stradun, the main shopping street, and still sense the logic of a maritime republic that prized order, diplomacy and trade.

Don't Miss

Just a short boat ride from Dubrovnik’s old harbour lies Lokrum, a lush island of peacocks, pine forests and rocky swimming spots.

But it also holds the ruins of a Benedictine monastery - and a chilling local legend.

According to tradition, when the monks were forced to leave, they cursed the island by circling it at night with upside-down candles.

They warned that anyone who claimed Lokrum for personal pleasure would face divine wrath.

For some, that only makes the island feel more irresistible…

Did You Know?

Dubrovnik was one of the first places in the world to introduce a formal quarantine system.

Back in 1377, the busy trading republic knew it could not simply shut itself off during epidemics.

So it came up with a smarter solution: Travellers had to isolate before entering the city if they were arriving from infected areas.

In other words, Dubrovnik was centuries ahead when it came to public health.

The Trendy Traveler Tip

If you seek romance on your travels, then head for the Franciscan Monastery.

Look for the Maskeron, a tiny stone head of a gargoyle perched into the walls.

Legend says that if you can climb onto it, keep your balance and remove your shirt while facing the wall, you will be rewarded with luck in love.

Please do it and send us some pictures… for research purposes, of course…