Dubrovnik has been restored to its pre-war glory

Paved with marble and ringed by 25-metre-high walls, if you only visit one place in Croatia, make it Dubrovnik.

Jutting out into the Adriatic on the southern tip of mainland Croatia, Dubrovnik's stunning medieval town centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While it took a nasty battering by the Yugoslav army during the Siege of Dubrovnik in the early '90s, the city's reconstruction has been something of an engineering miracle. Despite the odd pot hole, bullet-strewn stone wall and the slightly different shade of terracotta on the newer roof tiles, you'd barely believe it took more than 2,000 bombs.

The best views of the historic core and the ocean beyond are afforded from the city walls themselves where it is possible to circuit the 2km-long fortifications. This will whet your appetite for further explorations of Dubrovnik's pedestrianized promenades and tangle of narrow streets, replete with grand squares, palaces, monasteries and churches.

Beyond the city walls, modern-day Dubrovnik is a rather noisy and unpleasant place, although accommodation here is generally less expensive than what you'll fine in the old town.

Dubrovnik and its surrounds are blessed with a number of good beaches and swimming spots. From a number of points just outside the old town walls, it is possible to jump into the ocean from the rocky shore. In addition, a popular pebble beach lies just east of the old town.

But if you want to escape the crowds, catch a ferry to the nearby forested island of Lokrum. As well as beautiful rocky coves and a naturist beach, this national park has a Botanical Garden, great hiking trails and a fine view back to Dubrovnik from the lofty Fort Royal ruins.

If you're willing to venture slightly further afield for the perfect beach, catch a boat from Dubrovnik's main ferry terminal to one of the idyllic islets in the Elaphite archipelago. Here, Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan islands all offer fine pebble beaches.

In the summer, Dubrovnik is subjected to a near-constant procession of tourists piling off coastal ferries, cruise liners and charter airlines.

Dubrovnik can be reached by air, by bus from Split or by ferry with Jadrolinija.