These are the glorious views you get from the rampart walls girdling Dubrovnik, Croatia's medieval showpiece city. You won't find better views of the silken Adriatic, the densely wooded Dalmatian coastline and the distant smudge of islands than you'll find in this city.

Once a city-state that rivaled Venice, Dubrovnik's history stretches back more than 1,300 years. Up until the Napoleonic wars, this was the principal city of the independent state of Ragusa. Even at street level, it's obvious why Dubrovnik calls itself the Pearl of the Adriatic. The drawbridge over Pile Gate leads into a marble-paved street called Stradun. Laid out before you is a treasure house of bell towers, fountains and palaces. You'll find a Franciscan monastery with one of Europe's most ancient pharmacies; honey-colored houses with deep-green shutters, and steep alleyways hiding cozy restaurants, bars and hole-in-the-wall boutiques.

Prices in the walled center of Dubrovnik are in fact higher than in downtown Budapest and Prague. Still, we'd argue this is a nicer place to be. Certainly it's where visitors to Croatia would rather be if they could afford it. The tourist season starts mid-May, but visitors can come as early as mid-April. Because this isn't purely a beach destination, the season for Dubrovnik will likely extend year-round in the not-so-distant future. Already you can't find a place to rent during the week between Christmas and New Year's or Easter Week. Another good sign for the tourism market has been the arrival recently of Japanese tourists, who tend to travel year-round.