Luka Gruž, Dubrovnik

Luka Gruž is Dubrovnik’s international maritime passenger port, built to handle far more than the old harbour could manage. Its earlier life combined cargo and passenger traffic: cranes moved goods, railway wagons connected the quay with inland transport, and timber was a major speciality. A large refrigerated warehouse later handled food that could spoil, alongside a passenger terminal with customs, border control and dining facilities.

During the Homeland War, shelling destroyed the warehouse and badly damaged the terminal; with Dubrovnik surrounded, this harbour became the city’s sole connection with the outside world. It was later reshaped into a passenger and tourism port, and the cranes were removed. Today, it can receive up to three mega-cruise ships and serves ferries linking Croatian ports with Ancona, Bari and Pescara. Yachts also have berths with fresh water and electricity.