Ston was a major fort of the Ragusan Republic whose defensive walls were regarded as a notable feat of medieval architecture. The town's inner wall measures 890 metres in length, while the Great Wall outside the town has a circumference of 5 km. The walls extend to Mali Ston ("Little Ston"), a smaller town on the northern side of the Pelješac isthmus and the end of the Bay of Mali Ston, notable for its mariculture.

Ston is also known for its saltworks which were run by the Republic of Ragusa and the Ottoman Empire.