Dubrovnik is a hugely popular place to visit in Croatia, and with good reason. It is a beautiful walled city on the Adriatic Sea in the south of the country, famous for being a filming site for the show Game of Thrones. I’m not into Game of Thrones myself (shocking really, considering how much I love fantasy), but I did watch a few of the scenes that were filmed in Dubrovnik before going so I could compare the sights. The city really does retain a sense of medieval charm. Walking the walls of the city feels like walking the parapet of a castle in a fantasy novel.
The old city is very clean – the walls and cobblestones gleam as though washed daily (for all I know, they might be!) and it looks beautiful by night with the moonlight reflecting off the walls and the alleyways lit by golden streetlamps. The old city is actually quite small, filled with some churches and historic sights as well as several restaurants, bars, and shops. I stayed at a hostel within the city walls. It was quite a climb up the stairs to reach it, but it had a beautiful view of the city from the rooftop lounge area.
One of the main attractions in Dubrovnik is the wall itself – you can go up and walk the length of it. You have to pay an admission fee (100HRK when I went but I believe this has since increased to 150HRK). The views are totally worth it though – you can see the whole of the old city, parts of the old fortress, the harbor, the sea, and some of the nearby islands from the wall. It’s best to get there early if you don’t want your pictures to be crowded with other tourists – I started the walk at 9am and already by the time I finished the circuit the crowd on the walls had tripled.
The main sights of the old town can be seen in a few hours, so you might want to plan a daytime excursion. I chose to take a ferry out to Lokrum, an island just off the coast of Dubrovnik. It’s home to a monastery, botanical garden, and several excellent beaches (even a rather famous FKK beach if that’s your thing). I spent a nice day exploring the island, swimming in the deliciously warm waters, and sunbathing before heading back to Dubrovnik for the evening.
Another popular activity is to take the cable car to the top of Srd Hill to the old Imperial Fortress. The view from there is supposed to be amazing, especially at sunset. However, at 140HRK for a round-trip ticket, it’s a pricey view. I tend to take the cheap option whenever I can so I opted to hike up. There is in fact a trail that climbs up to the fortress, but the start of the trail is tricky to find as it begins above the level of the city. I spent a couple of hours wandering the city streets, climbing further and further up the multiple levels of stairs, before I finally found the start of the path. I made it about halfway up before realizing that the sun was already setting and there was no way I’d make it to the top in time to see it. Instead, I turned around and made my slow way back to the city, still getting some amazing views of the sun setting as I climbed down.
There is a bar in the old city (technically perched outside of the old city) which is accessed through a hole in the wall which opens out onto the cliffs just above the sea. I reached this just as the sun was setting into the sea. I noticed many locals had climbed out onto the rocks near the bar to watch the sunset, so I followed suit and was rewarded with a beautiful view of the sun sinking into the Adriatic. FYI, this is a fabulous location to sit and enjoy some beers at night. You can purchase drinks from the bar on the cliff, but they’re quite pricey, so if you prefer you can do what my friends from the hostel and I did and buy some beer from a convenience store to take out on the rocks to enjoy. The view of the moonlight on the water is just gorgeous.
Overall Dubrovnik is touristy (no off the beaten path places here) and the prices will sting if you’re a budget traveler like me, but the beautiful views and unique old world vibe make it all worth it. Visiting the city feels like stepping back in time, or maybe stepping into another world entirely. It shouldn’t be missed if you’re in the region.
Dubrovnik is located in the far south of Croatia, on the coast. Depending on where you’re headed from, you can get to the city by plane, bus, or ferry. There are no trains going here. The most common method is by bus.
From Split:
Take the bus from the bus station in Split (near the ferry terminal) headed to Dubrovnik. The bus takes about 5 hours to reach the city. Once there, you can take the tram into the old town.
From Kotor, Montenegro:
Kotor is very close to Dubrovnik. There are several daily buses making the 2 hour trip between the cities. You can check BusCroatia for schedules.
- If you’re planning to walk the city wall, be sure to get there early! It’s much more magical when there’s not crowds of tourists vying for the views.
- Check out Buza Bar, the bar on the cliff accessed through a hole in the city wall. It’s a great place to watch the sunset. If you’re feeling cheap and a little adventurous, head out to the rocks beside the bar for a gorgeous (and free) view.
- Take some time to wander the alleyways of the old town and climb the stairs to the upper reaches of the city walls. It’s like walking inside a fantasy city.
- Be sure to enjoy a swim or boat ride on the blue waters of the Adriatic. Lokrum island makes for a very nice, close-by day trip.
