As part of the main celebration of UNESCO World Heritage Year in Dubrovnik, this morning Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek, alongside Mayor Mato Franković and his team, attended the unveiling of UNESCO symbols at the city’s main entrance, Pile Gate. The ceremony featured a performance by Dubrovnik’s City Brass Band and a red carpet laid out at Pile. Another UNESCO symbol was placed at the eastern entrance of the historic center, at Ploče Gate.

This gesture reaffirms Dubrovnik’s commitment to protecting and preserving its heritage at an important milestone for the city. The minister and mayor also presented Tonči Janković with a certificate of appreciation for his dedicated work in restoring Dubrovnik’s monumental heritage.

The Dubrovnik City Council declared 2024 the "Year of UNESCO World Heritage" in honor of several key anniversaries: the 45th anniversary of Dubrovnik’s historic center being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 15th anniversary of the Feast of Saint Blaise being included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the addition of archival collections from the Dubrovnik Republic period to UNESCO’s "Memory of the World" list last November. To date, over 180 cultural, scientific, educational, and other programs have been organized as part of the celebration, with the main events continuing through October 27.

Today, several museums are open for free entry: the Maritime Museum at St. John’s Fortress and the Ethnographic Museum at Rupe Granary are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Natural History Museum from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and archaeological exhibitions at Revelin Fortress from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Dubrovnik Art Gallery and Dulčić-Masle-Pulitika Gallery will be open until 8 p.m., the Marin Držić House until 8:30 p.m., and the Museum of the Homeland War until 9 p.m.

The Cathedral Treasury is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the museums at the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries welcome visitors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.