Lapad, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Description:

Lapad is situated on a peninsula with the same name, below the Petka Hill and is 1 km away from the Old Town of Dubrovnik. Lapad is a relatively new part of Dubrovnik, and one of the most developed city areas (the majority of the town's hotels and shopping centres are located in Lapad. The headquarters of one of Croatia's biggest Maritime companies, Atlantska Plovida, are also in Lapad, as well as the city's hospital of St.Blasius. Lapad was also where some of the first summer houses of Dubrovnik's aristocracy were built, during the time of Republic of Ragusa, and remains of them can still be seen today. The development of Lapad began in parallel with the rapid development of tourism in the 1960's and that is the reason why the majority of the town's hotels are located in the area. It is also home to many nice beaches (most of them open to the public and are well looked-after - the area's deep-blue sea is also renowned for its high water quality), and has Dubrovnik's second favourite promenade after Old Town's ‘Stradun'.