Croatia: Mount Srd and Sveti Jakov (beach)

I guess our 4 days in Dubrovnik got a bit tiring since we book a hostel in the new section that takes us 30 minutes to reach the Old Town from. This is not always the best for stamina as there is no place to return to quickly for a break. So for the first two days we walk the old town of Dubrovnik and got exhausted. The last two days do day excursions in the area. Yesterday was Cavtat. Today is a trip up Mount Srd which sits above the old city and look down with great views.

Here we are driving up the winding road that climbs higher and higher in a series of switchbacks.

Wow, what a view on the journey up of the Adriatic Sea.

The road is extremely windy and treacherous and there seems to not be a single other vehicle climbing it.

The top is very dry and barren, although there are a few small farming villages this high up. Above is a metal something or other with what looks like bullet holes in it.

At the very top we reach the 412 metre high summit. The summit was taken over in 1991 by Serb forces when they tried to take over Dubrovnik. It is hard to imagine the town holding out with the opposing forces having this sort of vantage point. You can see the old town and its walls in the photo above.

The mountain top gives a panoramic view of the whole coast. On the top there is a cable car that was destroyed by Yugoslavian forces during the war. Our guide books have not updated the fact they are now in full use with a cafe at the top. The cable car leaves just outside the old city walls. Also on top of the mountain is Fort Imperial built by Napoleon's occupying army in 1808. It is still in a good state, but seems off limits to the public. We ignore a few signs and have a peep around. Wild sage grows everywhere. Next we descend and head to the a beach out of town. It is further down the coast. Sometimes the guide books that we bring come in extremely handy. I find a description of all the beaches in the area. The main ones come up when we ask our host and other travellers. But Sveti Jakov was one I read about that sounded remote and hidden. The Rough Guide reads:

Sveti Jakov: a small stretch of pebble at the bottom of a cliff, reached by steps which descend from the coastal path below the St James's Monastery. Twenty minutes from the city centre, fantastic views towards the Old Town, and west facing so catches the afternoon and evening sun. That is a cruise ship we are looking at from the shore. Obviously an alternative in the cruise ship industry. We stretch out for a nice day. Five minutes later we have had too much sun and head for shade. A view of the beach from a bit of a distance.