Dubrovnik Croatia

Dubrovnik (formerly Ragusa) on Croatia's Dalmatian Coast is arguably the best-preserved medieval city in Europe. Its honey-colored stone walls (up to 6 meters thick, 25 meters high), intact since the 14th century, enclose a pedestrian old city of baroque churches, Renaissance palaces, and marble-paved streets. It maintained independence as the Republic of Ragusa until Napoleon's conquest in 1808. Dubrovnik was severely damaged in the 1991–1992 siege by Yugoslav/Serbian forces during Croatia's war of independence — a UNESCO World Heritage Site under shellfire. Reconstruction restored it to its pre-war condition. Game of Thrones filming transformed it into a global tourist destination; 'overtourism' has become a serious problem, with visitor numbers exceeding resident population.