Banje Beach - Dubrovnik Croatia Stock Photo

Historical lore indicates that Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century on a rocky island named Laus, which is said to have provided shelter for refugees from the nearby city of Epidaurum.[12] The refugees from Roman Epidaurum built their new settlement on the small island of Lausa off the shore while other population settled along the coast in the following centuries, directly across the narrow channel, and named their settlement Dubrovnik. Initially the populations were sceptical of each other. Over time they grew closer and finally in the 12th century the two settlements merged. The channel that divided the city was filled creating the present-day main street the Stradun which became the city centre. Thus, Dubrovnik became the Croatian name for the united town.