Everyone knows all about the Great Wall of China, but who has heard of Croatia’s Great Wall of Ston ? Although it’s just 35 miles from Dubrovnik, the medieval fortress-wall complex is one of Europe’s least visited historic sites.

The impressive walls circle the villages of Ston and Mali Ston, and climb the surrounding hills to encircle the Pozvizd Fortress. Built to protect the salt trade of the old Republic of Ragusa, the walls and 41 fortified towers took nearly two centuries to complete and have just undergone almost 50 years of restoration.