Cavtat

Cavtat is Roman Epidaurum, and the tradition is that its inhabitants fled north to the rock that became Dubrovnik when the town was destroyed in the seventh century, which makes it the older settlement of the two. It sits on a wooded peninsula between two bays with a waterfront promenade. On the hill above the cemetery is the Racic family mausoleum, built by Ivan Mestrovic between 1920 and 1922 in white Brac stone, an octagonal domed chapel carved throughout - one of his most complete works. The birthplace of the painter Vlaho Bukovac in the town is open as a museum with his own murals on the walls.

History

Cavtat began as Epidaurus, founded by Greek settlers from Corinth in the 6th century BC in country whose Illyrians called it Zaptal; under Roman rule from 228 BC it became Epidaurum. Justinian's fleet took the town during the Gothic War of 535-554, and in the 7th century it was sacked and destroyed by the Avars and Slavs. Its people fled to the nearby island of Laus, or Ragusa, which in time grew into Dubrovnik. The town was refounded in the Middle Ages as Ragusa Vecchia, "Old Ragusa", and soon came under the Republic of Ragusa; its Croatian name comes from Civitas Vetus, Latin for "the old city" (Wikipedia, Cavtat).

What to look for

• Roman Epidaurum - the older settlement Dubrovnik's founders left.
• The Racic mausoleum - Mestrovic in white Brac stone, 1920 to 1922.
• Bukovac's birthplace - the painter's house, with his murals inside.
• A wooded peninsula - promenade between two bays.

When to go

May to September. Half a day.

Before you go

It is very close to the airport and to Dubrovnik, so day traffic is heavy. The mausoleum has short opening hours and is up a climb through the cemetery. Beaches are concrete and pebble.

Nearby

Dubrovnik is north; Konavle runs south-east towards Montenegro.

Key facts