Sokol Grad offers cappuccino with an ancient touch

Do you know where you can have a coffee with a glorious view over the Konavle countryside? If the answer is no, stop by for a drink to Sokol Grad where in September a bistro opened named Tegula.Even the bistro has an interesting name, as a tegula is a clay tile used to cover roofs in ancient Greek and Roman times, they would cover temples, houses and tombs. The bistro has a view that can’t be given justice by a camera, you’ll have to go there and see it for your own eyes, but believe us it is well worth the trip.The walls of the cafe are covered with images of soldiers who fought in the immediate area, Greek, Roman and Byzantine forces. And every customer who orders a refreshment in the bistro gets a free brochure about these ancient tiles, or “tegula.”“Our little ancient corner is visited by more and more tourists. Our guest book is full of positive notes from around the world, from Europe to Brazil and South Korea to South Africa,” commented Niko Kapetanić the secretary of the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, the organisation that looks after Sokol Grad.Fairy tale castleThe castle of Sokol was built on an inaccessible cliff more than 25 meters high. A natural fortress, its controls the main road leading from Konavle north into Herzegovina and the Balkan hinterland. This is the main reason why this town has been continuously inhabited since ancient times. Although its present name was first mentioned in August 1373, archaeological finds date the town several thousand years earlier.Research has proven that there was a prehistoric structure, an ancient and a late-antiquity fortress, and a medieval town that came under the authority of the city of Dubrovnik in 1423. The role of the fortress changes over time. In addition to its religious function, the prehistoric fortress also protected the inhabitants of the village below it. Ancient Roman and late antiquity Byzantine fortresses had to defend the Konavle region from external enemies and barbarians.In the Middle Ages, Konavle was primarily under the authority of the neighbouring states, although it enjoyed a special political position. Fort Sokol no longer had to defend Konavle from neighbouring rulers because they were already in Konavle. These feudal lords now enforced payments from their lands in Konavle from Sokol. Visit Sokol Grad and enjoy a coffee with an unforgettable view.Freindly staff in Tegula cafe barInteresting touches on walls of cafe bar Tegula Cafe BarFollow The Dubrovnik Times on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram