THE CONSEQUENCES of the coronavirus pandemic will be present for years to come. Currently, they are most noticeable in tourist destinations throughout Croatia. There are very few tourists or no tourists at all, and towns, beaches, and restaurants all over the Adriatic look deserted.
Dubrovnik is one of the towns suffering great financial losses, and even its oldest inhabitants do not remember seeing Stradun deserted in June. Last year was completely different. According to the eVisitor tourist check-in system, 582,883 tourists visited Dubrovnik in the period from January 1 to June 30, 2019 (not including nautical data). These photographs, both taken on the same day, show that now there are only a few people walking along Stradun both during the day and during the night.
Many cafes, restaurants, and shops in the Old Town have not yet opened their doors and judging by the photos, there’s no reason for them to open. No one can say for sure if and when the situation will improve, but one thing is certain - images of the desolate Stradun will go down in history.