Published on May, 2025
Vlaho was our knowledgeable and passionate guide who gave us a much deeper awareness about the travesty of what happened in Dubrovnik and the Balkans in the 1990’s. While visiting the massive Dubrovnik walls as a tourist is impressive, the activity is hollow without having an understanding of the many faces of Dubrovnik’s history, expertly woven together by Vlaho: from early times through to the Ottoman Empire’s threat, to the golden years of the Dubrovnik Republic, to Napoleon’s rule, Austrian rule, Tito’s Yugoslavia, and finally the splintering of the region into individual states in the 1990’s. Vlaho himself fought to preserve Dubrovnik’s and Croatia’s independence, and his story is fresh like yesterday. We started at the top of Mount Srd, where we could see how this vantage point was critical to saving Dubrovnik from being overrun by the enemy. As we learned about the devastation of lives and the town, we felt a great measure of sadness for what people and this great city had to endure just 30 years ago at the hands of the aggressors. It is people like Vlaho that make sure these memories are never forgotten. Vlaho also took us through the old town, pointing out historical highlights as well as sharing guidance for other suggested activities during our stay. Being guided by him on our very first day in Dubrovnik set the stage brilliantly for the rest of our trip! Highly, highly recommend!