Announcer: Funding for this program is provided by... [music] Tourism Ireland.

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[music] Peter: This week on The Travel Detective, it's got one of the most beautiful views of the Adriatic Sea, complete with a rich history both for scholars of the past and current streamers.

This Croatian city has weathered its share of war and remembrance, and that history is still being written.

I'll share with you some of my hidden gems of Dubrovnik.

That's our cover story.

Plus, people around the world seem to share one thing in common, the desire for a better future.

However, this hope is often filled with uncertainty, so get ready, I'll show you which countries are the most pessimistic.

And then, French Lick, Indiana is where NBA legend Larry Bird grew up, but it's also home to an amazing hotel of the past dating way back to the 1800s.

I'm Peter Greenberg, all that and more on this edition of The Travel Detective.

[opening theme music] [music] As most countries in Europe remain closed to U.S. travelers, one country in the region, Croatia, stayed open.

So, how do they do it, and what does it mean to your travels?

I came to Dubrovnik to find out.

Peter: If you traveled to Dubrovnik in the recent past, you could have joined as many as 9,000 other visitors on any given day.

The streets of the old city were shoulder-to-shoulder with travelers having just flown in from all across Europe, or streaming into Dubrovnik from numbers of cruise ships that arrived at the same time.

Overtourism was hurting this magical city, but then came the pandemic.

The airlines fled, cruise ships disappeared, but Dubrovnik, as well as Croatia itself, remained open to foreigners.

For those who made it here, they were greeted by a quiet, tranquil Dubrovnik, and then as Croatia became one of the first countries in Europe to loosen its pandemic restrictions, Dubrovnik mayor Mato Frankovic moved to welcome their turn of visitors in larger numbers, but he also took strides to prevent overtourism.

Tourism, we cannot let it just happen.

We need to manage it.

And you've limited it to no more than two cruise ships in the port on any one day at any one time.

On any one day at any one time.

So, people really breathe.

People, when they come could breathe, could see, could enjoy, could taste.

Dubrovnik is really ready for that.

Peter: But first, a sense of place and a little history.

Dubrovnik is located in southern Croatia and bordered by five countries, and across the Adriatic from Italy.

It has a relatively small population of just 42,000 people, but it's the old city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that keeps the visitors coming.

At first glance it looks like the backlot of a movie set, but it's a real living, breathing city that took centuries to build, and where no more than a thousand people still live today within the walls.

In fact, the walls were built as a defensive system against invaders surrounding the entire old city.

They run about a mile and a quarter in length.

They're as high as 80 feet tall and as much as 20 feet thick.

They were built between the 11th and the 15th century and remain the best preserved and biggest city walls in Europe.

They survived the earthquake of 1667, though that killed a third of the population and demolished almost everything inside.

Still, the walls stood tall.

The walls held up even during the 1991 Croatian war of independence from Yugoslavia.

The city sustained severe damage, but the city survived.

You can see the careful restoration in the difference in the rooftops from the original to a close match in the refurbishment.

Inside the city walls is a never-ending discovery of history and culture.

Limestone streets and tiny alleyways.

There are hidden passageways, no signs in sight, that takes you to a place where you can take in views of the sea.

[music] And then there are these steps made famous recently for a certain shameful scene in the "Game of Thrones," and when the production came to town, just about everyone got involved.

Like a number of Dubrovnik locals, Anna Machich was used as an extra on the series.

The directors loved Dubrovnik and chose it to be King's Landing because they hardly had to change any setups to do the shooting.

What surprises visitors the most that this is an actual staircase that's used on everyday basis and has been existing here before the "Game of Thrones," same as the entire city that surrounds us, but mind you, we do not have dragons.

No dragons.

I've got an admission to make.

Strange as it may seem, I've never even seen the "Game of Thrones," but I've been walking these stairs for more than 30 years.

They date back to the 1700s, and they've got quite a story to tell.

Peter: They're named the Jesuit Steps, built after that 1667 earthquake that leads to the Jesuit Monastery and church school complex.

And the bottom of the stairs leads to another secret just off the main marketplace.

And if you get here just before noon... ...an eerie sight begins to unfold.

Pigeons start lining up.

I mean, a lot of pigeons.

They prepare.

They know what to expect.

[clock bells toll] And then, when the bell tower strikes twelve, a man suddenly appears out of nowhere with a bucket of corn feed.

He's done it for years, and there was someone else before him for decades.

And if you ask nicely, you get to help feed the birds, but you do so at your own peril as I learned.

It's a massive attack from all fronts.

Yikes.

This is nuts.

Here I come.

[music] Peter: To recover from this, I needed a little altitude myself.

Most visitors are encouraged to take the gondola in Dubrovnik.

I get it.

Look at this view.

You can't beat it.

In the high season, just a little under twenty bucks, but here's the key, it's what you do when you get to the top that makes the difference.

[music] Peter: By far it's the best view of the old city, and nearby Lokrum Island, used by the locals as a summer getaway.

But up here, it's a more expansive view of history.

Just a short hike down the road from the gondola finds you here looking out over the water, a bunker from the '91 war, and now look to my left, it's a trifecta: the city, the bunker, and Bosnia.

[music] Peter: Back at sea level, steps away from the gate to the old city, I met up with an old friend, Mark Thomas.

He's lived here since 1998, and is the editor-in-chief at the Dubrovnik Times.

With Mark, as with most locals, you don't follow the street signs.

You count steps and make sudden turns to discover the real hidden gems.

Wow, this is a view.

It's not bad, eh?

No, it's better than not bad.

Wow.

Yeah, this is the view that everybody who comes to Dubrovnik wants to see.

Just up the road here you've got the vast majority of the 5-star hotels.

Most of the people walk down from these 5-star hotels directly past this view into the old city.

They just want to go see the old city.

Exactly, but there's actually another reason I come down here.

This way, over here.

Look at this.

Peter: It's called "Lazzaretti," and how appropriate for today's world.

It was a building built for quarantines to keep viral diseases outside the city possibly carried by sailors returning from the sea to trade in the port.

So, to be safe, they were kept here, not for 14 days, but longer.

The true definition of "quarantine."

It comes from the 40-days quarantine, comes from the Latin word "quadraginta" for 40, for four, for 40 days, that's how you get "quarantine."

And Lazzaretti, in the Bible, Lazarus with the lepers, from Lazarus, it kind of blended into Lazzaretto.

Peter: So, you guys were way ahead of your time.

Mark: Yeah, I mean this was in 1627.

In fact, people think that the first quarantine in the world was in Dubrovnik.

It wasn't, but the first decree, the first regulation, the first law on quarantine in the world was given by the Dubrovnik Republic, 1273, I think the date was.

Don't hold me to that.

-I won't.

-Yes.

[chuckles] Peter: And today, it's a culture and performance center that's easy to miss, especially from this angle.

But if you don't know those stairs, you're never going to find it.

Exactly.

I mean, the stairs.

I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of tourists pass these stairs every year, every summer, and I don't know if one percent, not one percent walk down here.

But we did.

We did.

Yeah.

[music] Peter: As we headed back into the old city, Mark was just getting started.

Again, no street signs, just local knowledge.

Peter: Now where are you taking me?

Mark: Got a little surprise for you.

Peter: Well, how far is it?

Mark: It's not far.

All things come to he who waits.

Peter: Or he who walks.

Mark: Or he who walks on cobblestones.

Just around the corner.

Peter: All right.

Mark: So, we finally made it.

Wait a minute.

What is this doing here?

Wow.

Want to shoot a few?

[music] Peter: Talk about a court with a view.

One of the coolest and most unexpected basketball courts I've ever seen.

As you may know, basketball is huge in Croatia, and while this court is open to the public, it's not easy to find.

Again, no signs anywhere, but thanks to Mark and a few unexpected turns, I got to get my Michael Jordan on.

With the bells ringing, the clock counting down, he fires.

[cheering] Yes.

Nothing but net, and if you look carefully there is no net, but I love it.

Thank you.

[music] Peter: If all that basketball made you work up an appetite, and it will, just outside the City Center, you'll find Popret.

It's a tavern where you can order Peka, a traditional Croatian dish of meat and vegetables.

Today, head chef Sandra Arnout is working with lamb.

Though the ingredients can vary, what makes the meal is the method of cooking.

"Peka" translates to "under the bell."

As the dish cooks, the bell traps the steam from the oil, marinating your ingredients with the flavor of the oil.

This method is a hundred years old, and it takes some practice to perfect the amount of heat needed.

You're also going to need to plan your day because the cooking time can take as long as three hours, but when your meal comes out from under the bell, it's worth the wait.

[music] Then you must take a 90-minute drive up the Adriatic Coast to the Peljesac Peninsula.

It's a beautiful route, and the vineyards hug the steep hillsides.

This is where the locals go when they want to slip away for some wine tasting.

The wine produced here is known for its low acidity and higher than usual alcohol content.

Hint, designated driver.

But there's one winery here that was truly a first of its kind, and to get there, you have to hop on a boat on Mali Ston Bay.

In this area, Bay of Mali Ston, is the same temperature all year, 50 degrees, which is the best to keeping red wine.

That is all the reason why we put wine in the sea.

Peter: You heard that, right?

At Edivo Winery, you don't just select your wine from a cellar, you pick it from the bottom of the bay.

It was the first underwater winery in the world, and Ivo Segovic and his partner were inspired by the amphora, an ancient ceramic wine vessel.

Me and my partner, Edi, we had and idea, before, 2000-year, 3000-year wine, let's keep it in the amphora.

We come to the idea to put bottle in the amphora because when we put bottle in the amphora, wine is in the dark.

Peter: The wine bottle is placed in an amphora and stored at the bottom of the bay for up to two years under lock and key to prevent theft by wine pirates.

The constant temperature and lack of oxygen and light creates what Edivo considers to be a superior wine.

When they open it and put in the glass, it's first time the wine from the amphora see light.

And it tastes better?

Tastes better.

Peter: Of course, I wasn't just going to take his word for it.

I needed to try some.

Guests are allowed to SCUBA dive down and pick out a bottle, but I decided to let Ivo make my selection.

[cork pops] Ha, ha.

Oh yeah.

All right.

Oh yeah.

Oh, that's good.

Give me some more.

Give me some more.

Cheers.

I've heard of a dive bar.

[laughing] [music] Peter: When it comes to travel in our general worldview, are you an optimist or a pessimist?

A British data analytics firm surveyed citizens from around the globe to determine if they looked at the glass as half full or half empty, and the results might surprise you.

The most pessimistic country in the world, France, where 81 percent of the people surveyed believe the world is getting worse.

Number two most pessimistic destination: Hong Kong, followed by Australia, where about 70 percent of those surveyed had a dim view of our future.

Where did America rate?

The U.S. is ranked as the eighth most pessimistic country in the world, and only 6 percent of our fellow Americans felt things are actually improving.

And on certain issues, it seems Americans think things are actually worse than they really are.

A majority of Americans believe the murder rate has increased since 2000, when in fact the number of killings has dropped.

And here's another surprise, the most optimistic nation, China.

Only 33 percent surveyed felt their lives were deteriorating.

[segment] [music] Most people have never heard of a place called French Lick, a small town of 1800 that some would say is in the middle of nowhere but is actually somewhere in southern Indiana.

And for those who may have heard of French Lick, it's because they're basketball fans, and they remember the NBA All-Star who grew up there, Larry Bird.

You can see images of Larry just about everywhere in French Lick, from street signs to local bars, even the local school.

This hotel actually started out as two separate entities, the French Lick Springs Hotel in 1845, and the West Baden Hotel in 1855.

They've now been combined under one management, and carefully and meticulously restored.

These are truly historic hotels of America.

But what are these two hotels doing in a place called French Lick?

Well, it's all about the water.

It goes back to 1845 when a physician from a neighboring small town began exploring the healing properties of the area's mineral waters.

Soon he created a retreat, and when he built it, they did come by the hundreds.

Soon the railroad came, and right at the turn of the last century, they built the first golf course there and the resort got bigger.

In 2009 they opened up the championship Pete Dye designed golf course here, but golf in French Lick goes way beyond that, back to 1907.

And in 1924 the PGA first came here, and guess what, they're still here.

[music] Sadly, sales of the mineral water ended due to measurable traces of lithium, and then these two giant hotels started to fade until a concerted effort requiring millions of dollars commenced a major and ongoing, some would even say, unprecedented restoration.

George Ridgeway was brought in to supervise.

Now, if I didn't know any better, George, I'd say, "That's a bank."

George: Well, those were the original cages for the check-in, but in fact there was one of them that was a Western Union for wire service.

And then this, this floor was what, covered by carpet?

Covered by carpet.

You didn't even know it was in there.

Didn't know it was here.

And then you pulled it up-- And found this amazing ceramic tile and patterns, and of course then we had to restore the floor.

Peter: All that flooring.

George: All of it.

Now, I see a lot of gold here.

There's a lot of gold leaf in all the projects, not just West Baden or French Lick.

We like to say there's probably a half a ton of gold leaf, but who's counting?

Peter: And you had to put it all back in.

George: And we did.

We had to bring it all back in.

Peter: So, you've been at this a while.

George: We've been at it for, some of us, 20 years.

We've spent 560 million on this project, and we're in it for the long haul.

Peter: Well, at 560 million bucks, you will be in it for the long haul.

We certainly will.

[trolley horn blows] And the two hotels are connected by this authentic 1930 diesel trolly built in Portugal, and how it got here, I have absolutely no idea.

Sheryl: I always like to give a little history on what used to go on here in the 1600s.

Peter: But someone who does know is motorman, or more appropriately, motorwoman, Sheryl Yeadon.

I'll be your motorman taking you down the track, and of course you will be riding in a historical car that was built in Portugal in '19 and '30.

So, destination is West Baden.

Now, coming up ahead, the lovely building was built by the Monon Railroad.

You know, it was built when the Monon passenger train came here in the late 1800s.

Today it is now known as the Indiana Railway Museum.

Peter: The old trolly moves at about 8 miles per hour.

The top speed is only 12.

Between the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Hotel, a place with its own special history and architecture.

[music] At the top of the hotel is a small room not opened to the public and shrouded in mystery.

It's more like being on the inside of a steel drum.

It's only 16 feet in diameter with an aged wooden floor.

That's where you'll find the angels.

Five frescos painted on the wall, three faded cherubs.

No one knows who painted them or when, but one thing is clear, it all happened before 1915 when graffiti covered some of the painted surface.

And below the angels is where you're going to find a stunning singular piece of architecture and design.

So, now where are we now, George?

We're in the West Baden Hotel's domed atrium.

Now, it's not an exaggeration to say, "This is big."

George: This is big.

It's 200 foot in diameter and 100-foot ceiling.

Peter: How big does that really mean?

George: Well, it was the largest free-standing dome in the world until 1964.

Peter: And what happened in 1964?

They built that thing in Houston called the Astrodome.

But as a hotel, this still holds the record.

It still holds the record for a hotel.

Peter: Now we're right in the center.

George: Dead center where you're standing.

And I'm hearing echos.

You should.

There's 27.

You counted every one of them.

I have.

Now what happens if I clap my hands?

Try it.

[claps hands] [echos] It's alive.

It is alive.

[claps hands] [echos] Wow.

Amazing.

Hello.

It knows I'm here.

It knows you're here.

Oh yeah.

Peter: At one point the work became so challenging that the hotel owners thought they might be better off tearing down the entire dome, but then thanks to a dedicated preservation team, they rethought that idea and decided instead to totally restore the hotel, and they kept intact not only its history, but also its secrets.

And in the process the property qualified to be a member of the Historic Hotels of America.

On these 3,000 acres here in French Lick, Indiana, the two hotels here represent 161 years of history.

The architecture, the art, the space, and the stories, and the cool thing is, those stories still continue because the folks here are finding something new about these hotels just about every day.

[segment music] [music] Peter: Sometimes when you travel, it's just nice to have a break from cars as well as the noise and pollution associated with them.

Luckily there are still some special destinations around the world that are perfect for this purpose.

The old town of Fez in Morocco is the largest urban car-free area.

It's composed of almost 10,000 streets but no cars.

Its medieval alleys are so narrow that cars just can't pass.

That doesn't seem to upset the locals who simply opt for donkeys.

So if you get lost there, don't count on Uber.

[music] Cars are also not allowed in Fire Island in New York.

Instead, people get around by foot or bike enjoying the island's 32 miles of coastline, almost all pollution free.

Mackinac Island in Michigan is another car-free destination in the U.S.. Well, almost car free.

With the exception of a few service vehicles, cars are illegal.

Mackinac Island hasn't changed much since the Victorian era, and people still travel by horse-driven carriages while local stores sell fudge and a lot of it based on 19th century recipes.

The Greek Island of Hydra also joins the list of car-free destinations.

And it's accessible by boat from Athens.

Finally, just a short ferry ride from Istanbul, the Princes' Islands also provide a car-free experience.

In fact, the only mode of transportation on the islands until recently was by bicycle or horse-drawn carriage.

That changed in 2020 after a public outcry affectively replaced the horses with electric-powered mini-buses.

Announcer: Funding for this program is provided by... [music] Tourism Ireland.

Visitors can experience a warm welcome... [music] ...and a giant spirit... [music] ...that will fill your heart with Ireland.

[music] [music] And Virtuoso, a global network focused on luxury and experiential travel.

[music]