Dubrovnik, often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, is on the coast in Southern Croatia and is truly one of the countries shiniest gems! It is the most charming and unique city! The enormous white city walls against the indigo blue of the Adriatic Sea along with the limestone houses with orange roofs – is stunning and picture perfect!
Epic Things to Do in Dubrovnik:
- Walk the City Walls
- Wander through the Old Town
- Have a drink at Buza Bar
- See the sunset from Mount Srd
- Take a tour
- Take a day trip
Dubrovnik City Walls Walk – The most popular tourist attraction, and rightly so, is the self-guided walk on top of the city walls. It does get crowed and hot, so if possible, head out first thing in the morning. Wear good shoes, as there are many steep stairways and uneven walking surfaces, bring water, lather up your sunscreen and get ready to give your camera a work-out because the views are spectacular!
There are four gates and four towers, the average wall is 80 feet high and up to 10 feet thick on the seaward side and 20 feet thick on the island side.
Your ticket (about $20 USD) is also good for climbing to Fort Lovrijenac. Also, be mindful that if you are planning to visit the Maritime Museum, you need to enter while you are on the wall. Once you climb down from the wall, the ticket is no longer valid to re-enter the wall walk. It will take about 2 hours to walk the entire loop of the wall, so plan accordingly.
Old Town – As I entered through the city walls and stared down multiple levels of stairs that I needed to descend to reach Old Town, I had to stop and push the pause button – this is a city like no other! Once down on the main level of the city, there is much to see and explore. Take time to wander these narrow old streets and just absorb it all. This area, known as the Stradun, is pedestrian only and not large, so you can easily see it all. There are tons of shops, cafés, restaurants as well as museums and churches. I love going to local open-air markets, and Gunduliceva Poljana is just the ticket. It is held daily in Gundulic Square but often closes shortly after lunch, so make it one of your first stops. Once you have explored all the hidden alleyways, the beautiful churches and fountains, make sure to take some time out to relax with a coffee along the plazas.
Buza Bar – once you have the caffeine fix, you might want to wander the streets towards the sea, in search of a small opening in the wall that leads out to one of best views and Café Buza. The café hugs the edge of the walls and looks directly over the Adriatic Sea. There is no food available but settle in with a beverage and enjoy the views, and you may even see some people jumping into the sea from the cliffs or sunbathing.
Mount Srd – is the highest point and a great spot to head for sunset. You can hike, take a car or take the cable car from the station that is located just outside the northern part of the city walls.
Tours – There are so many tours to choose from in Dubrovnik, that it might be hard to make a decision. We chose a Kayaking Tour with Theo and Dennis. It included lunch and snorkeling and was it such a great perspective to be out in our double Kayak, paddling through the Adriatic Sea and looking up (and up) at the city walls!
Dubrovnik is also a big filming sight for many movies and for the series Game of Thrones and there are many tours that focus on showing you those filming locations. So, if you are a GOT fan, this might be your place! And there is no shortage of GOT souvenirs available through the city!
Lokrum Island is a short ferry ride from the Dubrovnik harbor. It is a natural forest reserve with a botanical garden, an old monastery and plenty of beaches. Be aware that most beaches in Croatia are rocky and I highly suggest if you are planning to do any water activities or beaches, that you bring appropriate water shoes. Your feet will thank you.
Day trips from Dubrovnik – There are many options… you can hop aboard a ferry and in about 2 hours you can be on Korcula Island, which is also the birthplace of Marco Polo. Or you can travel by land north and visit the country of Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the town of Mostar is said to be charming and fairytale like. Or you can travel south and visit the country of Montenegro. With its Bay of Kotor and other medieval towns, it makes an amazing trip.
One interesting thing we experienced in driving down from Split, is that the country of Croatia in divided by Bosnia-Herzegovina and to get from the north part of Croatia to the southern part, you must pass through the border of Bosnia-Herzegovina, complete with passport checks and guards, travel a little bit in Bosnia-Herzegovina and then reenter Croatia through another boarder check – again with passports and guards – so if you are traveling by land – don’t forget your passport!
Overall - We rented an Airbnb, right outside the city walls and it was a wonderful choice for us. There was a large patio out front where we spent most of our time, which great views of the Old Town, city walls and the sea. We even had a pomegranate tree and a fig tree in our yard.
The food is excellent, but we found throughout our two weeks in Croatia that every menu had the same food – meat and potatoes, some fish (we were surprised there wasn’t more fish on the menus), pizza and pasta. So, one thing we did enjoy in Old Town was that there were a few restaurants that served alternative types of food – Mexican, an Irish Pub and our favorite was a Bosnian restaurant.
We visited Dubrovnik during late September and had warm temperatures in the day, cooler at night and morning and I do recommend visiting in the shoulder seasons – Spring and Fall, as the temperatures and crowds are lower and you will have more freedom to enjoy this magical city! The people are friendly and everyone spoke English so we had no trouble navigating the city. If you are anywhere in Croatia don’t miss the “Pearl” because it truly is epic! Happy Travels – Srena Putovanja!
