We would like to thank our reader Agi for this article. Dubrovnik is a luxurious, highly attractive Croatian resort that is sought after by travelers and tourists from all over the world. It is located in the south of the country and you can easily take a trip to Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina from there. Dubrovnik can be explored in 2 days, but it is also suitable for a week-long vacation. The goal of the holiday here is not just sunbathing on the beach. The historic center is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the island of Lokrum is a short ferry ride away and is great for hiking, and of course, there are other possibilities that we will talk about.
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Before the trip
- No passport required, a valid ID card is enough, Croatia is a member of the EU
- Currency is HRK i.e. kunas and lipas, during our visit 1 euro was approximately 7.40 HRK
We headed to Dubrovnik at the end of August and beginning of September. The flight from Vienna with Fly Niki airline passed quickly. Dubrovnik Airport is located about 20 km from the city, so we arranged a transfer directly to the accommodation, which we booked through booking.com at Villa Bona. These apartments are owned by marine engineer Antony and his family take care of them. The accommodation consists of 3 houses and there is a selection of several apartments. We had a studio with a terrace. The advantage was that we were on the lower floor and the sun didn’t shine directly through the windows, so the room didn’t overheat. Villa Bona does not offer meals.
We usually sorted out breakfast by shopping a day in advance and enjoyed it on the terrace or directly in the town at cafés, as well as dining later in the day. The only disadvantage of accommodation outside the Old Town in Dubrovnik is the number of stairs that need to be climbed. We had about 350 stairs to the city and then back. The next day we discovered that Uber has been operating in the city for 3 months and the prices are very reasonable. For two people, even lower than public transport. However, the car does not drive you into narrow streets, so from the main road we still had 104 stairs to climb (yes, we counted 🙂
What not to miss when visiting Dubrovnik
City walls
The entrance to the city walls is available at 3 locations directly in the Old Town. Their length is almost 2 kilometers, so you should reserve 2-3 hours and make sure your camera is fully charged. I was surprised by how well-preserved the walls surrounding the entire Dubrovnik are. The views from this perspective are breathtaking and unforgettable. At the entrance from Pile Gate, there is a small Franciscan monastery with a beautiful old pharmacy that is worth seeing.
Lovrijenac Fortress
Another place that offers a different perspective. Of course, after climbing numerous stairs.
Old Town
Entrance to the Old Town is possible through gates from various sides. The city is entirely built of white stone, and the pavement on the main street of Stradun is so polished by pedestrians that it reflects light. The Old Town can be explored in an hour, but you can also wander around for half a day. There are many narrow streets with excellent restaurants. In the Old Town, there are several fountains with drinking water. Also, part of it is the Old Port, where you can sit and relax or take a boat trip to the surrounding islands; you can find offers for excursions directly at the port.
Cable car
When I mentioned the views from the City Walls, you can enjoy the view from the top of Mount Srd, where a modern cable car will take you. The boarding point is above the Old Town. From the top, you can see on one side the orange roofs of the Old Town and the endless sea, and on the other side, the dry inland of Bosnia and Herzegovina. You will also find an excellent restaurant, Panorama, where a reservation is necessary but worth it. Prices here are similar to everywhere else in the city, i.e. count on at least 10 euros for a main course.
Island of Lokrum
Tickets for the ferry can be purchased directly before the voyage at the Old Port, ferries run regularly up and down about every half hour and the journey takes 15 minutes. The trip will take you at least half a day, but easily a whole day. On the island, you can choose from various activities. You can relax on one of the beaches, including a nudist one 😉 and just chill or take a walk around the island. We managed this hike in flip-flops, but next time I’d choose better footwear. There is a botanical garden on the island. Everywhere you can come across small rabbits, peacocks, and the amazing tranquility compared to the Old Town. You will find an old monastery, fortress, a lake in the middle of the island, and for Game of Thrones fans, the Iron Throne ☺ Lokrum was the city of Qarth in the series, but that’s a special chapter. There is a restaurant and a snack bar on the island.
Beaches, you can buy sunbeds or umbrellas
A few meters from the Old Town is the Banje beach, with a magnificent view of the Walls. On the other side of Dubrovnik are the Lapad and Copacabana beaches, accessible by public transport or Uber.
As a traveler who enjoys exploring local flavors, I must say that Dubrovnik is worth visiting for its quality gastronomy. There were many places we visited in Dubrovnik to eat well, I’ll mention just a few. The rest is marked on the attached map.
Throughout our stay, we didn’t get anything on the plate that we didn’t like. Fresh seafood is most commonly served, but also pasta and pizza. It’s worth keeping an eye on the places where many people sit in the restaurant, as it is elsewhere. We discovered a restaurant where there was a long line every evening and there was a reason for that. Kamenice RestaurantIt offers sea monsters at an excellent level and at great prices considering the location. If you want to enjoy excellent food, a drink, or just a morning coffee with a great view, in the Old Town, I recommend Gradski Kavana. It is located in an amazing space in the harbor. Access to it is also from the Old Town, and sitting here and enjoying the freedom is pure la dolce vita. The restaurant Panorama, which I mentioned near the cable car, provides a view of the entire Old Town, and another top view is offered by the restaurant Dubravka at the entrance to the Old Town through the Pile Gate. All of them offer excellent food, service, and set the right holiday atmosphere.
Food in sit-down restaurants may be a bit more expensive by our standards. Don’t expect main dishes under 10 euros, but you can rely on quality and freshness. If you are a fan of street food, you will also find something in Dubrovnik to satisfy your cravings. I was charmed by the stand-up or seated restaurant Barba, located in a narrow alley off Stradun. The octopus burger was top-notch ☺. Even pizza from the windows, of which there are several in the streets of the Old Town, does not disappoint. Of course, good food also needs to be washed down well. I can recommend the local wine. Compared to branded wines, it is affordable and very refreshing. The best we had was at the Old Port in the restaurant Poklisar. A bottle of this wine averages around 100 HRK, while a large beer costs 40 HRK. If you are in Dubrovnik on a budget and still want to indulge in tasty food, head to the new town to the Gruž port. Prices are more affordable there.
Dubrovnik attracts tourists from all over the world, and for many, it’s not about the history, UNESCO, or gastronomy. The aim of their trip is to explore the locations where the series Game of Thrones was filmed. This cult cannot be overlooked in Dubrovnik, so I can’t either. After all, like many others, we also followed in the footsteps of Daenerys, Tyrion, or Cersei. Game of Thrones has become a fantastic business in Dubrovnik, and you will find many willing to guide you through the locations for a symbolic fee, around 50 euros. Unnecessarily! As a true fan, you don’t need anyone. Just Google, and actually not even that because as soon as you enter the Old Town, King’s Landing will unfold before you, and you will realize that this was filmed here… and that was filmed there… Some places you will definitely not miss are the entrance from the Pile gate, where part of the attack on Joffrey took place. Further on the walls, there is the Minčeta Tower, where Daenerys chained her dragons. Several scenes were filmed on the walls in general. On the way to Fort Lovrijenac, there is a small harbor where Sansa conversed with Littlefinger, and the fortress itself is where Joffrey’s name day took place. Of course, I can’t forget the “shame” steps where Cersei endured her humiliation. They are right above the Kamenica restaurant. All of this naturally comes with dozens of souvenir shops. Currently, the Star Wars craze is also joining the mix because supposedly another part was filmed right here.
Dubrovnik is a beautiful city that is worth visiting whether for a short trip while in Croatia or for a whole week. It is a place that attracts with its history and preserved landmarks and can satisfy anyone from a backpacker to a discerning traveler.
