Can I tell you how much I love Dubrovnik? So, SO much. I’ve already given subscribers to my weekly newsletter a few tips on visiting Dubrovnik (see it here, and feel free to subscribe for more like that!), but it deserves a bit more attention. When originally planning this trip, I knew I wanted to spend some quality time in Dubrovnik, since the first time I visited I only had an afternoon off of a cruise ship to explore. Croatia has so much to offer, however, and the flight schedules did not cooperate with me, so I ended up having only about 24 hours to get to know this ridiculously amazing city full of history, natural beauty, and thanks to “Game of Thrones” (“GOT”), quite a bit of pop-culture interest too.
I basically wasted no time, and when my transfer driver dropped me off outside of the “Pile Gate” (the main entrance to the old town on the west side), I didn’t even hesitate and immediately chose, at random, one of the tour companies offering tours. This big square overlooking one of the bays used, I think, in filming the famous “Blackwater Bay” battle scenes in GOT is basically times square for Dubrovnik. Public transportation leaves from here, a big Hilton Hotel is here, a few restaurants/cafes are here, the tourist information office is here, and at least 5 tour companies have little stands here, complete with 2-3 sales people each in distinctive-colored shirts trying to get you to buy one of their tours. The tours are all basically the same: historic walking tour of the city, a “Game of Thrones” walking tour of the city, guided walks around the walls, trips to Lokrum (the island just off shore), kayaking tours, and even tours out further to places like Mostar or Mljet (though far less of those). It’s a bit of pandemonium out there, so I actually recommend pre-booking your tour, just to avoid the madness. I hadn’t done that, so I just picked one and was thrilled when I could actually get on a sunset tour in kayaks for that afternoon, AND that there was a “Game of Thrones” walking tour the next day that would finish before I had to leave for the airport (more on THAT later). Needless to say, I didn’t really snap any pictures of the masses booking/waiting/eating/drinking – but just know that this area tries to be a pleasant gathering area for all kinds of people.
Once I was all booked and settled, I went inside the walls and had my first glimpse of the crowds along the Stradun (the main street down the middle of town), which were only hinted at in the crazy busy square outside the walls. There’s not much to say, except that at mid day when 3 cruise ships are in town, Dubrovnik is packed. Be aware and plan accordingly – eg: a walking tour in the middle of the day, or walking the walls mid-day are popular and you’ll be jostling for space at times (so avoid that if you can). I used this middle of the day for a little work in my delightfully air conditioned and comfortable room, just a block off the Stradun. It’s very small, and probably pricier than some apartments you can rent – but I loved it. Hotel Stari Grad was lovely, extremely well located, had THE friendliest staff, and boasted an adorable rooftop dining space where I got to have breakfast (but was closed for dinner for a special event). Here are a few shots of the views from the roof, but I was so busy I forgot to take any other shots of the hotel – but the website will do better than me anyway.
In any case- after work and a delicious lunch (mussels & a crisp white Croatian wine!), I headed up hill and out of town, away from the crowds. I decided to head for the gondola that takes you up to the top of Mount Srd, which was strategically very important during the war in the ’90’s. There is a little museum up there about the war that I sadly didn’t have time for, mostly because I was just in awe of the views! Stinking gorgeous overview of old town, back over the mountains & Bosnia, and even glimpses over to the modern part of town and cruise port. (Yes, fyi, most cruise ships don’t dock close to old town, but in the deep port a few miles west of it.) The ride up, time for photos, and ride back down only took about an hour or so, maximum, so you can slot this in pretty much any time you need a break from the crowds – but apparently most cruise shippers come here in the morning, so later in the day might be your best idea. Here are a few shots from up there:
There is a lovely restaurant/cafe up there, so drinks during sunset would be a FANTASTIC idea – though for me, I was due to be on the water, which was also superb. I made my way back through town, had a little ice cream to cool down (there are tons of shops all over town), and met up with my little group for kayaking. Just under that main square outside the walls is where you load up in the kayaks, and we were lucky because there were only about 8 in our group (and me, being the lone solo rider, got to ride along with the guide!). Another group pulled out just before us and there were dozens of them in the group – no hope of hearing ANYTHING from a guide with that one. In any case – we set out and went the opposite direction from the big group and had a lovely little trip over to Lokrum island. The lone building on the island is another recognizable “GOT” filming site (used as Quarth, when Dany had to rescue her dragons, in case you care), but actually has a fascinating back story. Apparently rich people have been purchasing the island one after another & trying to make that building into a palace or home of some sort, but HORRIBLE luck (and/or death) kept happening to them after the purchase, so eventually nobody was willing to live there, and therefore it’s just a nature preserve now. Hiking around it and/or bathing on the rocky shores looks to be a spectacular way to spend some time – boats do take people back & forth to town several times a day. Our kayaks had no problem getting over there (the water was like glass that day), and scooting around into caves and by nude beaches (the one farthest from town is designated for that, and the first time I’ve seen actual attractive people enjoying a nude beach, fyi…). Next up we crossed back over to the mainland for the “highlight” of the trip – a stop on a cave for some snorkeling. This wasn’t just ANY cave though, especially for “GOT” fans. Yes- this cave is the smoke baby cave, where Melissandre gave “birth”. I don’t know why, but this just made me ridiculously giddy. I won’t dwell, and will instead let non-GOT-fans know that this cave can only be accessed by boat, unless you’re the lucky people who live in a house just above it who built a door down into it & staircase along one side of it. We spent quite a bit of time in there for snacks and snorkeling in the crystal clear waters. I finally saw some little fish, but mostly just interesting rocks down below. This part of the trip was also where we gawked at amazing yachts out in the bay – one had a whole slide hooked up to it’s side – unreal. We also saw amazing villas clinging to the cliffs (one that I could have sworn was another filming site, but wasn’t), and one giant hotel complex that was never finished (though construction seems to be complete) – a reminder that being part of the EU has not actually been an easy transition for Croatia, even in tourist-rich Dubrovnik. After our play time in the cave/beach, it was time to head back to town and the part when I SO SO SO badly wanted a water proof camera. The sun setting in front of us & shining onto those great big giant city walls was truly spectacular. I mean, just being down in the water and looking up at those giant (and super old) walls is crazy enough, but in that light it was amazing. Here are a few shots I did take once we were out of the boats:
I befriended a set of gals from my tour and agreed to meet them in town for some dinner and exploring, as we had now learned that we were in town for the opening of the “summer festival” (which apparently ALWAYS starts on July 10th because in the history of Dubrovnik, it has “never” rained on that date!), and there were going to be massive fireworks over the city & port (which is why my hotel’s rooftop was closed, for a private event). My new friends and I met up at the now distinctly less crowded big fountain just inside the Pile gate, and had just the BEST night wandering out with all the locals. What was interesting about Dubrovnik at night is that all the locals came INTO old town, and it really felt like any small city festival you’d see in America, just in a centuries-old walled city. Families were out in their “Sunday Best”, young couples strolled arm-in-arm, and they all, to a person, were PUMPED for the band that ended up playing in the main square on the east side of town (in front of City Hall). We of course couldn’t get into any of the restaurants with perfect views for the fireworks, but instead found a spectacular little konoba overlooking the little 12th century church (one of the only structures that didn’t fall in the big earthquake of 1667, which destroyed really most of the town). After dinner and the fireworks we checked out the band, wandered through the quiet back streets and squares (gorgeously lit, of course), and then ended up back at the west side of town where we were treated to the cutest little old jazz trio ever. Maybe it was the company, or the wine, or the festive atmosphere in the air, but it really was a magical night – and good news: Dubrovnik has festivals A TON. I feel like Dubrovnik after dark is just a special treasure that cruise ship guests completely miss – it’s the main reason I pretty much insist you need at LEAST one, if not two overnight here during your trip to Croatia. Here are a few shots of that night that don’t do it justice:
So- that’s part one of my nearly perfect 24 hours in Dubrovnik. For most people, I would recommend getting up early after breakfast and hitting the wall walk. I did this back in 2004 (?) and adored it – but I do recommend that you have a guide. Our guide for part of the walk explained all about the war, which really did take a heavy toll on the city and its residents. There is a map just inside the Pile gate that shows the damage, but nothing made the impact clearer than when our guide explained how certain roofs were darker than others, and that was because they were new (at that time). It was shocking to see just how many were visibly new – but I don’t know if that is still as obvious, 12 years later. The sun may have done it’s duty to fade out all the new roofs, but even still – walking the walls is fascinating, gorgeous, and yes a bit strenuous. There is basically zero shade, which is why you really should get up there first thing before the day heats up and before the cruise passengers arrive, and be sure to carry plenty of water with you. Note that you can’t go in & out, so once you scan your ticket, don’t come off the walls until you’re done. I know we have more photos from that day, but for now- here’s one cute little shot of my sister and my Dad and I – I’ll add more when I can.
Since I wasn’t walking the walls on this trip, I instead spent my morning wandering around the east side town a bit taking photos of all the gorgeousness. After all- I thought I had a super cool “GOT” walking tour coming up. See- normally the tour sellers are not supposed to sell single tickets onto tours until they get to a magic number so they know the tour will go. Apparently I had a newbie tour seller, and in fact I was the only one who showed for my tour. I think it all worked out in the end, however, because the guide who WOULD have led my tour, while very knowledgeable about the show, was incredibly annoying. Instead, my tour company refunded me & added me to a group of another company who was waiting to go on their tour. Now, the worst part about all this is that my original tour company didn’t bother to make sure I got put on another “GOT” tour, so as soon as my (super cool) guide started, I realized I was not going to be plunged into Westeros. Being awesome, my new guide did point out a few things, as asides to me, that were relevant to show – so I did see the steps they used for the walk of atonement, I was able to look at the interior of the Pile Gate in a new light (used frequently in the show), and I did get pointed to the very cheesy gift shop where you have to buy something in order to have your photo taken on the faux-iron throne. So I got the highlights of the “GOT” tour, PLUS I got all kinds of neat history nuggets about the city that I wouldn’t have otherwise. We learned all about how Dubrovnik played the Venetian empire against the Ottoman Empire and maintained it’s independence for centuries. We learned all about the earthquake of 1667 and how the city was re-built, how the structure of the city inside the walls was designed to intimidate & impress sailors. All kinds of good stories – so, moral of the story – the history walking tours are WELL worth it, even if you were expecting something else. Here are some shots from around town (from east to west, more or less):
So, at the end of my tour I just had enough time to dash back to the hotel & back through Pile gate one last time for my ride to the airport. It was a nearly perfect 24 hours, but for a first timer with the same amount of time, I would likely reverse the order. Start with a walking tour of the town (Game of Thrones or otherwise), then kayak or boat over to Lokrum for some cooling off in the water. The following morning walk the walls, and if you’ve got time, head up the gondola to Mt. Srd. If you have more time, you can of course retreat into air conditioned museums (of which there are several) and/or spend more time out on the water and explore neighboring areas (like Kotor in Montenegro, or Mostar in Bosnia, or Mljet national park). But, above all else – don’t expect to get a full taste of Dubrovnik as a day stop from a cruise ship!!