Top Tips for Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik was seriously damaged by an earthquake in 1667 and most recently sustained further considerable damage during the armed conflict in 1991, but has managed to preserve its beauty, buildings and walls. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. A beautiful city, with many challenges ahead arising from its popularity. Here are my Top Tips for exploring this stunning city.
1. City Walls
Dubrovnik’s city walls run for almost 2km and a walk around them is a must! They have withstood multiple sieges and attacks throughout the centuries, most recently in 1991 during the attack by Serbs and Montenegrins. Entrance fee is 150 kuna which includes entrance to St Lawrence Fort. They are open 8am to 8pm in summer – go early or late to beat the heat and the cruise ship crowds. Take water, a camera and do a tour if you can. Dubrovnik Walks do a good Walls & Wars one. There are a lot of companies selling tours near the main Pile gate into the city, so no real need to book in advance.
2. Game of Thrones tour
If you’re a fan, compulsory. Dubrovnik is the location for King’s Landing. It’s so much fun to learn about the filming, the logistics of such an epic production in an old pedestrian only city and the impact it’s had on the city. Your guide will show you various stills of scenes and explain which parts are real Dubrovnik and what is CGI. You will find out how they arrange the city around the Great Sept and the Red Keep. I really enjoyed the Dubrovnik Walks one. And of course a walk down the steps where Cersei filmed the Walk of Shame is a must.
3. Be prepared to spend some cash
I found Dubrovnik really expensive. A beer was around 4 euro (25-30 kuna) as compared with 2 euro in Greece and Korcula. A lot of the restaurants in the old town are serving really ordinary food. If you are Airbnb-ing (not a verb, but going with it), I’d recommend a kitchen so you can make a few meals. And do some research. TripAdvisor has its limitations (the amount of cheap pizza places that make it to number one spot is a sad indictment on what tourists consider good food), but it’s great for knowing where NOT to go. Here are a couple of gems I found:
- Soul Cafe – great little shady spot for coffee or a drink later in the day. Music from 3pm till late and super friendly staff. A street back from the Walk of Shame square.
- Barba – an octopus burger and a beer on the steps outside this little hole in the wall was delicious and a fun, easy dinner or lunch option.
- D’Vino Wine Bar – Croatia has some great wines. A good spot to do a flight and start to build up some knowledge.
4. The Cable Car
Incredible view from the top back over the old town and the rest of Dubrovnik and surrounding coast and islands. Expect some queuing and potentially some tussles and angst with cruise ship groups who get to skip the line! There is a restaurant up the top where you can have lunch or dinner. I settled for a beer with an extraordinary view laid out before me.
5. Put your patient pants on
Dubrovnik has just elected a new mayor who ran on a platform of improving the way increasing tourist numbers are handled and hopefully the physical impact this has on the city whilst improving the Dubrovnik residents’ quality of life. There is supposed to be a limit of 8,000 people within the city walls at any one time, with cameras on the three gates. On Monday 13 August, my first day in the city, according to my tour guide, the ticker on the website got to 9,300. There were four cruise ships in the harbour. It’s not clear to me what, if anything, was done. The new mayor intends to cut visitor limits to 4,000. I can say first hand the crowding didn’t help in terms of my first impressions of Dubrovnik. August is particularly intense, but the season here runs April-October and it’s busy throughout.
So, actively remind yourself that you are on holiday! If you don’t have to be anywhere at a specific time, chill out and stroll. Just go with the flow of traffic and breathe. If you do have a time to make, allow at least double what you think. If you are coming or going between the main Port and City, it’s not unusual for 2-3 buses to go by packed to bursting before you can get on one. If you’re getting impatient, just take a moment to remember what it must be like for the residents!
And when you need a break, sit down, grab a beer and watch the madness unfold – great people watching!
6. Pack a water bottle
The fountain just inside the Pile gate has been a source of perfectly safe and tasty drinking water for the town’s residents for hundreds of years. I would freeze mine half full overnight and then top it up in the morning to have cold water all day, refilling again as I left the city.
7. Take a ferry to the Island of Lokrum
Don’t stress about a map, it’s all very well signed and you can follow your nose. Climb up to the Fort in the centre of the Island for a great view back to Dubrovnik. There’s a very pretty path along the water, it won’t take anything like the 2 hours estimated unless you are really very slow! The Monastery built in 1023 and its gardens are gorgeous and were the filming venue for Qarth in Game Of Thrones. It houses a GOT exhibit with a replica Iron Throne you can take a photo on.
There are lots of little coves and rocks to lie out like a lizard on after a swim in the Adriatic. If you have the little rock booties, take them, but there are lots of ladders so you’ll be fine without. Take a picnic lunch or eat at one of the restaurants on the Island. There’s a nude beach if you’re so inclined!
Lokrum is a fantastic antidote to the craziness of Dubrovnik. If you have time to do a full day, do it, but its worth the trip for a couple of hours too.
8. Sveti Jakov Beach
The main beach in Dubrovnik is Banje and it’s crazy busy during peak summer months. I recommend walking past it, onto Sveti Jakov Beach which is set in a little cove, down a lot of steps, below Sveti Jakov church. You get a great view back to Dubrovnik and of Lokrum island and the water is beautiful. The walk along the coast to get there is also gorgeous, about 30 mins from the Ploce Gate. You can hire sunbeds and/or umbrellas from the couple of cafes there or just plonk down on the pebbles.
