Dubrovnik – the Pearl of the Adriatic

I have a hazy memory from my school days. Smartphones were still a distant dream, so to kill time in some of the lessons that seemed to drag on forever, I’d pull out my geography textbook and start leafing through the pages, my mind wandering somewhere far away from the classroom. I’d look at photos of all sorts of destinations, near and far – beautiful mountains, emerald seas, exotic plants, European or East Asian architecture. I was literally transported to a parallel world where I could travel the whole globe in 40 minutes. Flicking through the textbook, I came across a photo of Dubrovnik’s Old Town. It looked like something out of a fairy tale. I tore a page out of my exercise book and made a list of the places I wanted to visit. I still have it at home. Number one was Dubrovnik. And many years later, after I’d had the chance to visit even more exotic and far-flung places that aren’t in any textbook, life finally brought me to Dubrovnik, a city that seems to have stepped straight out of a children’s storybook. It was love at first sight. Long postponed, but all the more longed for and dreamed of.

“The Pearl of the Adriatic”, as the Croatian town is also known, has become a world-class destination in recent years. I say “town” because, according to official figures, its population is only around 25,000, yet despite its small size, prices are pretty high. Dubrovnik has been a favourite with Bulgarians for years, but the world really heard about it in 2013, when part of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones was filmed there. That opened up a whole new niche – film tourism, which brings the Croatian economy an average of 30 million euros a year. That’s right! Many of the tourists who visit Croatia don’t come for the beautiful beaches at all, but to walk the streets of King’s Landing. The website BuzzFeed included Dubrovnik among the 18 most popular destinations for film tourism.

Although today Dubrovnik is best known as one of the main filming locations for Game of Thrones, the city has an incredibly rich history, and its old town is perfectly preserved. Wandering its narrow streets, you’ll feel transported to a completely different era and can soak up its medieval charm. The city was at its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, when it became a hugely important port and trading centre.

The Old Town has dozens of churches, romantic little squares, museums, a cathedral and, of course, a whole host of other attractions, so you definitely won’t be bored. Around it there are also plenty of beautiful beaches and beach bars. All in all, it’s a destination with something for everyone. In this blog I’ll tell you about the most interesting places to visit and share a few extra tips.

How to get there?

Dubrovnik is in the south of Croatia, on the Adriatic coast in the region of Dalmatia, 600 km from the capital, Zagreb. There are two ways to get from Bulgaria to Dubrovnik – by car or by plane. We chose the second, thanks to the convenient and very cheap flights from Sofia to Zagreb. That gave us the chance to explore other towns along the Adriatic coast too, travelling by bus between our stops. Hiring a car is also an option, of course, but bear in mind that tolls in Croatia are high. If you decide to travel straight from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, the bus takes between 10 and 12 hours, and the car around 6. Dubrovnik also has its own airport, so if you don’t fancy such a long journey, you can buy a ticket and fly there from Zagreb.

When to visit Dubrovnik?

Before you plan your trip to this seaside city, you need to decide what exactly you want to do there. If you’d like to combine it with a tour of the Adriatic’s beautiful beaches, you can easily plan your trip for mid-May to the end of September. Bear in mind that July is the peak of the season. Besides the huge crowds, you’ll also have to battle the heat, which sometimes tops 40 degrees. If beaches aren’t such a big draw for you, plan your trip for spring or early autumn, when there aren’t so many tourists and you can really enjoy the beautiful medieval city.

What to see there?

1. Walk Dubrovnik’s city walls

2. Stradun

3. The Rector’s Palace

The Rector’s Palace of the Republic of Ragusa served as the home of the city’s rulers, a meeting place for the local government and even a prison. The city’s rector acted as a kind of mayor.

Like many of the buildings in the Old Town, this one was destroyed and rebuilt several times. What sets it apart is the way it blends Gothic, Renaissance and baroque elements into one harmonious whole. Today the palace houses the fascinating Dubrovnik Museum, where as well as hundreds of artefacts related to local life and culture, you can see many of the rooms in their original state, including the rector’s bedroom. The entrance fee is 100 kuna.

4. The Franciscan Monastery

The Franciscan Monastery was originally built outside the city walls, but because of the threat of invaders and looting it was moved inside the city. The large monastery complex sits right next to the Pile Gate, and the new building went up at the beginning of the 14th century. A fascinating fact is that the Franciscan Monastery is home to the oldest pharmacy still in operation today. You can buy potions and herbs here that were sold on this very spot more than seven centuries ago. The monastery’s Renaissance hall, meanwhile, displays many of the treasures and relics from its collection.

Sadly, the old church building and much of the monastery were destroyed in the great earthquake of 1667, but the monastery’s impressive cloister and gardens survived almost untouched.

5. The Old Harbour

6. The cable car up Mount Srd

Without doubt one of the most exciting things to do in Dubrovnik is to ride the ultra-modern cable car to the top of Mount Srd. It’s becoming more and more popular thanks to the panoramic photos doing the rounds on social media of the city lying literally at its foot. Up there, as well as seeing Dubrovnik from a bird’s-eye view, you can enjoy an incredible sunset over the whole bay.

The lower station is right outside the city walls – an incredibly convenient and scenic way up the mountain! At the top there’s a restaurant and a snack bar where you can grab a bite while you wait for the sunset, plus a little souvenir shop. Keen hikers can also climb up on foot along a steep path beneath the cable car line, but that definitely wasn’t for us, so we chose the quicker and easier option. You can check the cable car timetable and buy tickets online HERE.

7. Fort Lovrijenac

Perched on the hill next to Dubrovnik’s walled Old Town stands Fort Lovrijenac, built in the 16th century. The locals built it to protect their access to the sea and to get an even better view of any invaders approaching by water. 175 steps lead up to the entrance of Lovrijenac, and the fortress was utterly impregnable. That meant just 25 men – a garrison and its commander – were enough to man it.

Today Lovrijenac is a popular attraction, mainly because of the incredible view of the Old Town it offers. It also hosts various cultural events. And Game of Thrones fans will certainly recognise it, as it was used as the backdrop for many of the scenes set in King’s Landing.

Entry to the fortress is included in the ticket for the Old Town walls.

8. Banje Beach

Although Croatia is famous for its amazing beaches, Dubrovnik doesn’t have a long stretch of sand, unlike most of the country’s resort towns. The city itself is built on rocks, and most of the beaches are rocky. The pebbly Banje Beach is right next to the Old Town, which makes it incredibly convenient for visitors. Part of the beach charges an entrance fee, but there’s a free section too. For me personally, the most beautiful beach around Dubrovnik is Pasjača, about 30 minutes’ drive from the city.

9. The Elaphiti Islands

Not far from Dubrovnik are 13 beautiful, unspoilt islands where cars are banned altogether. The Elaphiti Islands draw visitors with their greenery and beautiful, untouched beaches. The most appealing of them are Koločep, Lopud and Šipan. As well as lovely beaches, the islands have plenty of other sights – medieval churches, monasteries, old buildings and centuries-old lighthouses. In summer, a boat runs from Dubrovnik to the islands four times a day. If you’re spending more than a day in Dubrovnik, you really must take a trip out to some of the islands in the archipelago.

10. Lokrum Island

Lokrum Island is just half a kilometre off Dubrovnik’s coast (10–15 minutes by boat), and its green hills can be seen from far away. In fact, as you walk along the city walls, you can’t miss it. Lokrum is a truly beautiful place where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the Old Town and recharge your batteries as you wander through the wild island’s greenery. There’s a botanical garden with all kinds of plant species gathered from around the world. There’s also a monastery, and at the island’s highest point are the remains of a French fort. It isn’t the easiest place to reach, but if you do decide to climb up, you’ll be rewarded by peacocks roaming freely around it.

If walking isn’t your thing, you can enjoy the emerald waters at one of the island’s beaches and stay to work on your tan.

A return ticket to the island costs around 20 euros, and boats leave from the Old Harbour every hour, with the first departing at 9:00 and the last at 17:00.