Wine, Walls & Water

Although Ston was originally an old Roman town – Stagnum - the buildings and structures that you’ll see today are medieval, built in the 14th Century by the Republic of Dubrovnik. Dominating the landscape of this small town is the restored Fort Kastio that was built as a defensive structure to protect the town’s main asset, the saltworks. At the time, salt was one of the most sought-after commodities in Europe (as it was used to preserve fish and meat) and so provided the town with its main income.
Get a ticket at the entrance gate and walk around the battlements for a spectacular view of the salt pans which sparkle like a sequinned patchwork blanket along the edge of town (you’ll be visiting here tomorrow), and the pretty red-roofed Ston houses. Also, check out the old cannon on the ramparts.

If you don’t fancy trekking all the way out to China, here’s your chance to experience a miniature version of the Great Wall. Built in 1333 as part of the town’s defensive plans, this 7km long wall stretched from Ston across to Mali Ston (‘little’ Ston), preventing access by land to the peninsula. Although tiny compared to China’s Great Wall (which is over 21,000 long), personally, I think this wall is just as beautiful in its own way. Although only 5.5km of the original 7km wall remains (some of the stones were removed to build houses when the wall fell into disrepair in the 19th Century), you can walk along the wall from here to Mali Ston. It takes around 40 minutes. There are a lot of steps, and it can be steep in places, but there are handrails, so it’s perfectly safe. It’s a beautiful walk and the views along the way are breath-taking. The wall is connected by 40 towers and 7 forts (including Fort Kastio) so there are plenty of lookout points. You’ll need a ticket to access the wall but it’s the same ticket as you used to enter the fortress.