dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a historic coastal city in southern Croatia, situated on the Adriatic Sea. Often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” it is renowned for its well-preserved medieval walls, baroque buildings, and stunning seaside views. The city’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is enclosed by massive stone walls dating back to the 13th century and features iconic landmarks such as the Rector’s Palace, Stradun (the main pedestrian street), and the Franciscan Monastery. Dubrovnik’s rich history as a powerful maritime republic, known as Ragusa, is evident in its architecture and cultural legacy.
In recent years, Dubrovnik has gained international fame as a filming location for Game of Thrones, drawing fans from around the world. Despite its small size, the city offers a vibrant atmosphere with festivals, art galleries, and seaside restaurants. Its location near the border with Montenegro and the Croatian islands makes it a key gateway for regional travel. Surrounded by dramatic cliffs and the deep blue Adriatic, Dubrovnik combines history, culture, and natural beauty, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.
Enclosed by massive stone walls dating back to the 10th century, the Old Town features narrow cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and bustling squares. Landmarks include the Rector’s Palace, Sponza Palace, and the Dominican Monastery. The iconic city walls, complete with towers and forts, offer panoramic views of the sea and the city. Walking along the walls is a must-do activity for visitors. Dubrovnik has a rich history as an independent city-state known as the Republic of Ragusa. It was a major maritime power in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages.
Dubrovnik’s main street, Stradun, is a lively pedestrian thoroughfare lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. It’s the heart of the city and a great spot for people-watching.
The city boasts beautiful beaches, such as Banje Beach, which offers crystal-clear waters and stunning views of the Old Town and Lokrum Island.
Lokrum Island is just a short boat ride away, this lush island is perfect for a day trip. It features botanical gardens, peacocks, and the ruins of a Benedictine monastery.
The city gained additional fame as a filming location for “Game of Thrones”, where it served as the primary setting for King’s Landing.
The Dubrovnik Summer Festival, 7 July - 25 August, 2025, is a cultural highlight featuring music, theatre, and dance performances.
Dubrovnik combines history, culture, and natural beauty, making it a captivating destination for travellers seeking both relaxation and exploration.
We arrived in Dubrovnik port in Gruz after a very pleasant trip on the ferry from Mljet. From the port we caught the number 1 bus directly outside the ferry port bus stop (Luka Gruz 4) to Pilé gate bus stop which takes about 20 minutes. The bus may have the suffix a, b or c, don’t worry, jump on any of these as they all end up at Pile gate. If you prefer a taxi or Uber from the port you will find these nearby. Once you arrive at Pile gate, cross the bridge into the old town and directly ahead is the famous Stradun promenade, don’t forget to check out Onofrio’s fountain to the right once you’ve entered the town; the fountain is still in use and the water is safe to drink.
We were lucky as our accommodation Dominus Rooms, was a 5 minutes walk south of the fountain. I can’t recommend the 4 star guest house highly enough, it is in a lovely, quiet spot, with private bathroom and shower, air conditioning, wifi, tea and coffee making machine, refrigerator, luggage storage space and concierge service.
The obvious place to start when exploring Dubrovnik is to visit the City Walls. The view of the Adriatic Sea, terracotta rooftops and ancient church spires is awesome. The City Walls run for about two kilometers (1,940 m), and the walk around the walls will take 1.5-2 hours, depending on your walking pace and the size of the crowds. Visitors walk anticlockwise around the walls. You may purchase your one-time entry ticket from either the ticket office close to Pile Gate or from any of the 3 city wall entrances. If you wish to prebook your ticket online you can do so here, booking online also saves time in queuing for tickets which can be long especially in the summer. The entrance fee is €35, this includes entry to Lovrijenac Fort which is situated just outside the city walls.
You may decide to purchase the Dubrovnik Pass, valid as a 1, 3 or 7 day pass which cost €40, €50 and €60 respectively. As well as a one-time entry to the city walls, this pass also includes entry to 10 sights (12 if you purchase the 7 day pass). City bus transport is included in the Pass, but not transport to and from the airport. Check out the FAQ’s before you purchase (how to activate pass etc), no senior discount available. The Dubrovnik Museums website offers individual entrance tickets to some of the same sights as the Dubrovnik Pass if you wish to be more selective. They also offer a 10 Museum Ticket that has a few omissions and additions compared to the Dubrovnik Pass, and is valid for 7 days but unlike Dubrovnik Pass does not include bus transport.
There are also many excellent important buildings and attractions, such as the Sponza palace (€5), the Cathedral (free), Saint Blaise Church (free) and Dominican Monastery (€4 if you have the Dubrovnik Pass, or see it in a tour) that travellers should not forget. Finally, don’t forget to take the cable car up to Mount Srd for views of Dubrovnik, the coastline and islands, awesome at sunset.
There are many day tours available in and around Dubrovnik you can either book them when you arrive, as we did, or prebook them before you leave home. GetyourGuide and Viator offer everything from city tours, Game of Thrones tours, kayaking tours, through to epic day tours to places like Montenegro, Mostar, and Sarajevo. Alternatively, check out TripAdvisor for a comprehensive list of tours, hotels, restaurants, flights, car hire etc.
Helen and I opted for the Mostar and Kravice waterfalls tour which lasts around 12 hours with a pickup at Pile Gate. It takes a couple of pleasant hours driving through the Croatian, and then Bosnian countryside (don’t forget your passport), for our first stop at Kravice waterfalls.
You have an hour in this picturesque place where you can enjoy a swim in the chilly waters below the falls, or wander along the boardwalk and river banks enjoying the views of the 25m high falls. There is also a lovely small cafe directly opposite the falls. IMPORTANT to note there is an additional fee of €10 to visit the falls, check when you book if this is included in your booking.
Another hour further away is the city of Mostar. We enjoyed a guided tour in historic Mostar which lasted about an hour, then we had a couple of hours to explore. Parts can be a little touristy especially either side of Stari Most (old bridge) but fun. There are plenty of restaurants around, I would recommend one of the restaurants that overlook the river and bridge on the left before you cross such as Konoba Mlinica Neretva (no website). We also went to the base of the bridge where you can view the crazy people who jump off, plummeting down into the Neretva river below.
It then took about two and a half hours to get back to Dubrovnik, back to the hotel, feet up for an hour, shower, and then hit the town, restaurant, drinks, hotel, sleep, phew what a fab day!
Speaking of restaurants, there are some great places in Dubrovnik. I can highly recommend the Gradska kavana Arsenal restaurant which overlooks the harbour, and Dubravka 1836, which is just outside Pile Gate, it overlooks a small bay with Fort Luvrijenac in the background, gorgeous when lit up in the evening. Both places are very beautiful and romantic for all you lovebirds out there, and do book in advance.
All good things come to an end, and we took the airport shuttle bus from Pile Gate, it costs €10 and takes around 45 minutes.
For more information on Dubrovnik and surrounding areas check out this local website.
And finally, Lonely Planet for their excellent guidebooks.