Dubrovnik was established in the 7th century as Ragusa, an independent republic that rivaled Venice for its riches. Dubrovnik was brought under the umbrella of the Byzantine Empire during the 12th century, and later was occupied by the Venetians, who completed construction on parts of the Old Town that stand to this day. In 1667, the city was devastated by an earthquake and lost much of its power. Unable to fight off the French invasion by Napoleon, Dubrovnik fell to the French and was bundled into Austria-Hungary in 1815.
The city became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after WWII, a period that ended after the 1991-1995 Balkans conflict, which resulted in the breakup of Yugoslavia. The city suffered significant shelling during a seven-month siege in 1991; many of the houses you see today have new roofs following the war.
Today, the city enjoys spectacular success as both a tourist destination and a film location. Despite the fact that they are massively outnumbered by visitors in summer, locals are friendly and welcoming. During your visit, try to embrace fjaka, a Croatian concept of doing very little in a pleasurable way and living in the moment.
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