Zupa Dubrovacka - Kupari, Srebreno, Mlini, Plat

Once this was the old Astarea, today it is the living monument of many past cultures that followed one another on this sunny and fertile piece of land in the Zupa gulf, from the ancient days up to the present

The history of Zupa Dubrovacka is an integral part of the history of old Epidaurum and later the history of the Dubrovnik Republic. Zupa Dubrovacka covers the area of the most picturesque part of the surroundings of Dubrovnik, from Srd to Bosanka on the eastern side of it, spread over the hills and fields descending to the sunny and wooded coast of the Zupa gulf.

The gulf itself abounds in sand beaches, gulfs, small bays and ports. The exceptional natural beauty and the convenient climatic conditions have turned this small area of the Dubrovnik riviera into a real tourists' paradise.

KUPARI

Once this was the first of the tourists' settlements on the Dubrovnik area, beside a large sand beach, and with the modern hotels situated in the palm and oleander woods it is one of the best developed tourists' places of this region today. Above Kupari there is the wooded hill Pelegrin with a small church on top that stands there like a guard, and round it there are many antique monuments dating from ancient times.

Not far from Kupari, in Cibaca, there are ruins dating from the Illyrian and Roman times. The whole area of Zupa still has many archaeological localities that have not yet been discovered. All of them have been burned and destroyed. It is currently being reconstructed. There is a large modern camping site.

SREBRENO

A wonderful place in Zupa, in the midst of beaches full of the Mediterranean luxuriant green plants, mostly agaves, palm trees and pine trees. The old name of the place was Subbrenum, from the name of the stronghold Brenum that used to be here in the ancient times and where the inhabitants of the destroyed Epidaurum found shelter in the 7th century.

Srebreno also has many remnants of old architecture, like strongholds, churches and graveyards. With its hotels and many rest-homes , apartments, Srebreno is today a highly developed tourist resort. There are also plenty opportunities of finding accomodation in private rooms.

MLINI

It is an old historic place, one of the finest in Zupa Dubrovacka, situated along the banks of the precipitous rivulet Zavrelja, beside several sand beaches and bays with clean sandbanks. Ample dampness and warm climate have changed everything into fragrant parks and gardens filled with every kind of plants and vegetation.

The name of the place comes from the mills (Mlini means 'mills') that used to be moved by the waters of the rivulet Zavrelja. The place abounds in historic monuments and many legends, according to one legend St. Hillary has burned down the dragon of Epidaurum on the beach of Mlini in the 4th century, thus saving Epidaurum from earthquakes, evil, attacks of barbarians and destruction. The little church of St. Hillary (Sv. Ilar) has been erected in the memory of the deliverer who has become the patron saint of this area.

There are two more historic little churches: St. Rock on the coast and St. Spirit on Krstac. There is also an ancient graveyard on the hill that rises above the coast. The inscription tablets on the graves mention the names of the oldest families from Zupa living here in the Roman times of old Astarea.

Mlini is one of the best developed tourists' resorts of the Dubrovnik area, with fine hotels situated in picturesque environment, beneath the historic mountain Spilan, almost penetrated into the shape of the mountain and the wooded rocky land. There are also plenty of opportunities of accomodation in private rooms in fine houses and numerous villas .

PLAT

Among the lavish cypresses and pine trees coming down to the sandy beaches, in the place where there used to stand the ancient Platea, today there is the well known seaside resort, a modern hotel complex with comfortable hotels and cristal clear sea on the hotel beaches. Good comfortable accomodation also possible in many fine private houses and villas .

MOLUNAT

An almost romantic village with sand beaches and a fine gentle coast as a contrast to the hard rock of Konavle. It is the only village of the Konavle area that is situated on the coast. Its name has been mentioned since ancient times, and the Dubrovnik Republic has made a special urbanistic plan for the village, treating it as its protruding defense stronghold.

The village can be reached from the highway Jadranska magistrala by a new asphalt road. Since the new road was built, the village has intensified its tourist trade.