Dubrovnik Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum sits inside Fort St. John, the fortress guarding the old harbor entrance in Dubrovnik's Old Town. Construction of the fort began in 1346, and the museum itself was founded in 1941, moving into this building in 1952; the current permanent exhibition dates from 1986.

Spread across two floors, the collection holds more than 5,000 objects tracing Dubrovnik's maritime past, from early Adriatic trade to the 16th-century peak of the old Republic of Ragusa as a Mediterranean naval power. Ship models, cannons, anchors pulled from wrecks, nautical charts, flags and navigation instruments make up most of the exhibits. One curiosity worth looking for: a gold watch given by Abraham Lincoln to a Dubrovnik ship captain who rescued American sailors.

A visit takes about 45 to 90 minutes, and it pairs easily with a walk on the city walls or, for those staying aboard, with chartering a gulet from Dubrovnik.