Facing the Adriatic Sea with its awe inspiring landscape, beautiful old town and abundance of history, Dubrovnik can entice one by its many charms. A picturesque historic city surrounded by one great, walkable city wall, it is young, dynamic and cheery. At daytime, tourists crowd the places in the inner city, but by the evening, Dubrovnik’s youth comes out to party. They take over the city, its seaside bars, and street cafés.
Dubrovnik is a fantastic — a walled, orange-roofed old city perched above the Adriatic. George Bernard Shaw once said, “If you want to see heaven on Earth, come to Dubrovnik.” The Game of Thrones fans will remember this place as Kings Landing which has increased the number of visitors here.
With all of the beauty that this city has to offer, here are a few things that I really don’t think you should miss. The old city is small to begin with which gets very crowded all throughout the year.
Things to See-
Walk the Old City Walls- The series of defensive stone walls that surround the old town are considered one of the best fortification systems in Europe. The walls that surround the city provide an excellent spot for sightseeing at all angles. One can get an amazing understanding of the layout, some beautiful views of the beauty of the old town and all its hidden nooks and nuances. It can be quite a climb to get to the top of these walls, but the views will be well worth the climb.
Visit Surrounding Islands- One of the things that Croatia is popular for is all of its surrounding islands. One can do a sailing day trip or take a ferry to the nearby Lokrum island or the Elaphiti Islands. It is a nice way to spend the day, soaking up the sun, swimming, exploring or just chilling. Though be wary of the tout’s selling the day trips. And yes negotiate a lot to come at a right price or these guys can really haggle and throw attitude over price and talking to others.
Climb Mount Srd- Another great place to go for a spectacular view of the city is to the top of Mount Srd overlooking the old town. One can take a Cable car to the very top for views of the Old Town and the surrounding islands as far as the eye can see.
Walk Around the Old Town- Dubrovnik’s Old Town isn’t that big so one can easily walk around. The whole part of the city is pedestrian only full of small alleyways with cafes and restaurants everywhere you turn. Enter the town’s walls through Ploce gate, pass Revelin fortress, visit Church of St. Sebastian. Visit Rector’s palace and walk Dubrovnik main street from Saint Braise church, visiting Orlando’s column and all the way to Onofrio’s fountain. Stop at the Franciscan Monastery and visit the third oldest pharmacy in Europe.Visit the town’s old port. In the evening the whole old town gets a party atmosphere with the clubs & pubs coming to life. The Old Town also has several churches and museums you can visit to learn about the history of the city
Accommodation– Accommodations in Split can increase depending upon the season and location. I recommend Airbnb since they offer incredible value and comfortable. This will help you stay without splashing a lot and maintain your budget. If you haven’t tried Airbnb before, sign up with my referral link for a credit of $30 on your first stay. They are of great value in this part of the world, and renting apartments is the norm rather than the exception. Expect to pay around 30-40 euro per night.
Eat and drink – The old city is full of cafes, bars & eatries. You may have to hunt for budget places though. Most popular is the Buza Bar sitting on the edge of cliffs at the side of the old city wall and can both be accessed through holes in the wall.
Dubrovnik was just as beautiful as I imagined. Unfortunately, it was also more crowded than the rest of Croatia.There is so very much more to do and explore. This really is a place with something for everyone to enjoy. Game of Throne fans can take the GOT walking tour to see the various places of the popular show. Also try going during March-April as the crowd is less during that time otherwise it is an all year round destination.
This post was originally published on 'CHASING THE EXPERIENCE'.