We reckon it’s that time of the year when the wanderlust kicks in. Yes?
To get you started, try taking a look at TNT’s new guaranteed lowest price trips search and booking site, www.tnttoursearch.com.
To get you going, try putting Croatia in the search box and maybe sussing out Dubrovnik.
A host of attractions in the Croatian seaport include the ancient city walls which have in modern times formed a setting for the fictional city of King’s Landing in the smash-hit American TV drama ‘Game of Thrones’.
Dubrovnik has, sadly, endured less welcome smash hits in its recent past. From 1991-92 the city was bombarded with shellfire during the seven-month ‘Siege of Dubrovnik’ – coming under heavy attack from the Yugoslav People’s Army following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.
But the pounding was followed by extensive and successive restoration work between 1995-99, and Dubrovnik can once more proudly claim to be the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’.
There’s no doubting the city’s enduring appeal to visitors. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board recorded around 850,000 arrivals between January-November this year – a 12 per cent increase on the same period in 2013. There were also 3.1m recorded overnight stays – a rise of nine per cent on 2013.
In addition, there was a 15 per cent rise in the number of UK visitors to Dubrovnik in 2014, plus a large growth in the numbers of people visiting from the USA, Spain and Italy.
Romana Vlasic, director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, said: “It has been a very successful year for Dubrovnik and the city has shown that it is an appealing destination to guests from around the world. We’re very proud to see that so many travellers from all across the globe are choosing to find out what Dubrovnik has to offer.”
Dubrovnik’s wonderful walled town is a UNESCO world heritage site; the wall itself is between four and six metres thick on the landward side, and is studded with turrets and towers. Visitors can stop off at the beautiful Franciscan Monastery, and enjoy cafes, restaurants and designer shops. Those with a head for heights can view the terracotta-topped houses from the top of the cable car; others may prefer to go sea-kayaking along the Dalmatian coastline or attend a special tour of filming locations used in ‘Game of Thrones’.
Foodies will find plenty to whet the appetite in 2015, with the new Good Food Festival set to be launched at the end of October. Before that, the Dubrovnik Festiwine will return in April, featuring delicious wines from the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
So remember, whether it’s Dubrovnik, somewhere else in Croatia, or somewhere else in the world, www.tnttoursearch is the place to start looking.
