Dubravka: Church of St. Barbara and Stećci

Dubravka is of particular interest to travellers interested in medieval heritage, especially for the Church of St. Barbara, its cemetery with Stećci and the Staza stećaka route. Other landscape, cultural and hiking themes belong to the broader destination of Općina Konavle.

Church of St. Barbara and Stećci in Dubravka

The Church of St. Barbara is considered one of the oldest small churches in Konavle. Its surrounding cemetery is also considered the largest preserved medieval cemetery in the area. The site above Dubravka contains 104 tombstones; in 2016, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Stećci include slabs and chest-shaped monuments. For travellers interested in medieval funerary art, this combination of a church, cemetery and different forms of tombstone is a distinctive point of interest.

Dubravka on the Staza stećaka route

Dubravka is part of Staza stećaka, a cultural heritage route linking 19 sites with Stećci in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The route extends from the Neretva area through the Dubrovnik littoral to Konavle. This allows you to view the individual site as part of a broader regional cultural heritage theme. If you plan to follow a section of the route, check local trail conditions in advance.

Općina Konavle as a broader destination

The municipality of Općina Konavle encompasses a fertile valley up to 35 km long and up to 12 km wide. On the mountain side, the slopes of Snježnica (1,234 m) and Bjelotina define the landscape. On the seaward side, steep cliffs extend from the port of Cavtat through Molunat to the Prevlaka Peninsula and Cape Oštro.

More cultural history in Općina Konavle

The history and culture of the broader destination of Općina Konavle also encompass themes from different periods. Fort Sokol is an important fortress from the time of the Republic of Ragusa, built on the site of an earlier Illyrian and Roman fortification. The Mithraeum in Močići is a sanctuary of the ancient god Mithras; his cult was widespread in the region from the 2nd to the 4th century. The Konavle Region Museum in Čilipi houses around 500 ethnological objects, including traditional costumes, embroidery, other textile work, jewellery, weapons, musical instruments and items of everyday life.

The landscape and cultural heritage of the broader destination of Općina Konavle also includes the mill complex on the Ljuta River. It comprises eight watermills for flour, two watermills for oil and three fulling mills. The system known as the lower mills, built after 1550, has been preserved to this day. The source and upper course of the Ljuta are protected by the state as a nature park; the watermill is protected as a cultural monument.

Hiking in the broader destination of Općina Konavle

In the broader destination of Općina Konavle, you will find several hiking routes of varying lengths and through different landscapes. The Cavtat–Močići–Čilipi hiking trail is 8 km long and passes through coastal landscapes. The Konavoske stijene educational trail starts in Popovići and runs for about 4 km along the cliffs of Konavle. The Ronald Brown hiking trail starts in Gornji Obod and continues to the summit of Stražišće at an elevation of 791 m. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views of Cavtat, Konavle, Župa and Dubrovnik. Endemic plant species and protected animal species can be found along the Ronald Brown Trail. Check local trail conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Stravča, Pločice, Molunat, Zastolje, Mihanići, Poljice, Vitaljina, Cavtat

For the broader travel overview: Općina Konavle.