Dubrovnik, Croatia is by far one of the most fascinating places I have travelled. It is a port city located on the southern Croatian coast, sitting along the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the few medieval walled-cities of the world. The tall stone walls surrounding the city once acted as protection for the citizens in times of war. Today, the walls make the city iconic and intensify the city’s appeal and beauty.
Walking along the ancient city walls is the top attraction in Dubrovnik. For a small fee you can take a beautiful walk along the wall, experiencing the ancient ruins and taking in Dubrovnik’s tremendous history. The views from the wall are amazing, as the wall is about 25 meters high. Looking one direction there is the stunning turquoise blue Adriatic Sea, and the other direction is a view looking over top of Old Town and the rows of traditional orange rooftops.
Below the walls the vibrant city awaits! The stone streets in Old Town are lined with great shops and authentic restaurants. Croatia is known for their exceptional seafood, so if you’re a seafood lover like me, Croatia is the place to travel. Once you walk beyond the walled area, there are some great beaches with amazing views of the city from afar.
There are many day trips you can do visiting the small islands surrounding the Dubrovnik. One particularly easy journey is to hop on the small ferry docked right in the center of Old Town and take a quick fifteen-minute ride to Lokrum Island. A day spent here is a day well spent!
There are multiple walking routes around the island, connecting the botanical gardens, a small restaurant located in a former monastery, and great swimming locations. It only takes a few hours to cover the entire island by foot; making stops to jump in the water necessary in the Mediterranean summer heat! We spent the majority of time lounging on the massive rocks on the outskirts of the island with our feet in the beautiful water. It is a great journey if you only want to spend a few hours or if you’re wanting to relax and spend the day on this quiet island.
There aren’t many fancy hotel chains in Dubrovnik, but that’s what makes it an authentic European getaway. There are many great bed & breakfasts and friendly residents renting out rooms or entire levels of their homes. These places can be booked just as easily as hotels on various internet sites. Also, if you’re booking outside Old Town…bring your walking shoes! Every way out of the city center is up hill. We booked a bed & breakfast about a twenty-minute walk from the city, twenty-minutes of stairs that is!
Dubrovnik is accessible by ferry from the surrounding countries. I made my way there from Bari, Italy on an eight hour overnight ferry ride. It may not seem like the most appealing option to some, but sitting atop of the ferry watching the sunrise at 5:30am is simply remarkable. Cruising into Dubrovnik in the early morning and passing the neighboring islands is a great experience and one of the best ways to catch the surrounding scenery of Dubrovnik! But not to worry, if you’re not travelling from Italy or Greece, Dubrovnik is also easily accessible by plane. I suggest making a journey up the Croatian coast afterwards by ferry or car, the entire coast is incredible and Dubrovnik is a great start to a Croatian adventure.
