Dubrovnik, Croatia
I have to admit, I didn’t really know what to expect of Croatia. I had seen pictures of Dubrovnik and, as a Game of Thrones fan, wanted to visit, but I definitely had some initial reservations, most of which were based in my memory of the War of Independence back in the 90s, where Croatia broke away from the oppressive rule of Yugoslavia.
We flew into Dubrovnik airport after a very short flight from Bari on the east coast of Italy (another spectacular place to visit!). We met with our prearranged transfer from the airport to downtown Dubrovnik and were informed that it would be a 25-30 minute drive to the Pile Gate, where he would be dropping us off to walk into the ancient walled city.
We asked our driver to tell us a little about Dubrovnik and he shared that tourism is actually the ONLY industry in Dubrovnik. Everything other form of business has long since disappeared from this town because of how many tourists come (it is one of the busiest tourist ports on the Mediterranean). He also added that it has been this way for many decades, long before Game of Thrones came on the scene! The only exception was during the Independence War, for obvious reasons, but they bounced back pretty quickly. While the ancient city was bombed during the war, there is no evidence left of that to be seen.
We also learned that this southern-most Croatian city, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, is actually completely separated from the rest of the Croatia by a small strip of Bosnia!
We entered through the ancient Pile Gate in the northeastern corner of the Old Town of Dubrovnik (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and found ourselves walking down the Stradun – a long, beautiful, paved pedestrian street made of limestone which looks smooth like marble after years of people walking on it.
The street was lined with buildings made out of the same limestone, 3-4 stories high, with terracotta rooftops, and to our right was the Big Fountain of Onofrio (as opposed to the Small Fountain at the other end of town). It was breathtaking!
We found our way to our accommodation, which was only a couple of minutes walk, and our room looked out over the Stradun (details here). Once we were unpacked it was time for dinner, and, although it was getting quite late, there were a plethora of options within a stone’s throw of our door, so we were seated for a delicious meal within a few minutes.
This was our first experience eating Croatian food and we found that, while they have some dishes that are similar to Italian food (which we love!), it was surprisingly more flavorful. Over the next week, we would have the opportunity to try many different styles of Croatian food and found it all to have a very robust flavor.
Walking The City Walls
The next morning, in order to avoid the enormous crowds that fill the town each day from the cruise ships, we got up early to walk around the city walls. The ticket booth is located close to the Pile Gate next to the fountain. By 8 AM we were up on the walls to begin our journey.
The pedestrian traffic all moves in one direction (anti-clockwise), so we began heading towards the sea along the western wall. This gave us fantastic views of Kolorina Beach, West Dubrovnik Harbor and across to Fort Lovrijenac.
The southern wall sits on the edge of the Adriatic sea. About half way along it is a small cafe with some tables and a lofty view out over the water.
On the eastern side there are lovely views over the East Harbor marina and out towards Lokrum Island. You can also see along the south coast towards the small beach and cruise ships.
Along the northern side, further up the hill, there are several high points on the wall that provide panoramic vistas over the whole town, port, and out to sea. Simply stunning!
While the town appears to be relatively small, a walk around the walls can take 1-2 hours. Given that I was stopping regularly to take photos, it took us about 2 hours to do the full 1.2 mile circumnavigation, so we were well and truly ready for brunch by the time we finished!
West Harbor and Fort Lovijenac
Just outside the Pile Gate you will find the beautiful West Harbor, which appeared in Game of Thrones as Blackwater Bay . It is a gorgeous, small, sheltered harbor, with Bokar Fortress and the walls of Dubrovnik on one side and Fort Lovijenac on the other.
During the summer months you can rent kayaks on Kolorina Beach and paddle around the harbor and along the coastline.
If you continue walking around the edge of the West harbor you will soon come to the steps that lead up to Fort Lovijenac, which is a magnificent structure with great pillared halls and medieval terraces looking out over the West Harbor and Dubrovnik. This fortress was featured in the Game of Thrones series as the Red Keep.
Spanish Steps
Dubrovnik also has it’s own version of Spanish Steps, which are very similar (and modeled after) the ones in Rome, although smaller and not as busy! You will find them by St Ignatius’ Jesuit church, so they are also known as the Jesuit Stairs. Again, Game of Thrones fans will recognize these from the Walk of Shame scenes. At the foot of the stairs we found a vibrant street market and purchased a few mementos.
Lokrum Island
We decided to take the short ferry ride over to Lokrum Island for the afternoon, so we headed to the East Harbor marina to purchase our tickets and then had lunch at the Poliksar restaurant while waiting for the boat. Another delicious meal!
The 15 minute ride over to Lokrum Island cost 40 Kuna (about 5 Euro) each and provided us with a great view of Dubrovnik from the water.
On the way we learned some interesting facts about the island. For example, in 1192, Richard the Lionheart spent several months there after his fleet encountered a storm, during which time he paid the city of Dubrovnik to build the church of the Blessed Virgin, which is still standing on the island today!
Upon landing at Lokrum Island we purchased a map from the visitor center and made our way to a few of the sights. These included botanical gardens and the ruins of a medieval Benedictine Monastery, which also happened to be where the original Iron Throne from the “Game of Thrones” series is on display, having been donated to the city of Dubrovnik. You can even sit on it and take a picture!
We spent some time resting at one of the sheltered, rocky beaches on the west side, and then headed towards the famous blue lagoon while observing the many peacocks that freely roam the island.
The lagoon is actually named The Dead Sea, having a high salt content as a result of being fed by the sea and then evaporation occurring. The water is beautifully clear and blue, and, at 30 feet deep, it is the perfect swimming hole. (You can even cliff jump if you are the adventurous type!) Add to that the fact that there is an outdoor tiki bar right next to it, and you have a perfect little island paradise!
Sailing in a Karaka Replica Ship
A friend had told me about the opportunity to sail in a traditional Karaka replica (16th century sailing ship) out of the Dubrovnik harbor and I thought it sounded amazing so booked it for a sunset dinner sailing!
We boarded in the West Harbor at the same dock where we had boarded the Lokrum Island ferry earlier. The crew were dressed up in traditional costume and we were given a glass of champagne upon arrival, which we sipped on while standing on the top deck during the harbor exit.
We made our way out to sea, heading west, with amazing views of the city in the glow of the setting sun. We continued to sail towards the sunset until it fell below the horizon, and then we turned back, circling around Lokrum Island and anchoring for dinner.
The dinner was served buffet style and was quite modest, but tasty nonetheless. There was a dining room inside the ship, with booth-type seaing, and we were also able to order a drink from the bar. It was completely dark by this point and, after everyone had finished eating, they pulled up anchor and took us back into the harbor for disembarkment. It was definitely a highlight of the trip!
Game of Thrones Filming sites
For Game of Thrones fans, we identified a number of familiar places from the series. Dubrovnik itself was “King’s Landing” in the show and the following places around the Dubrovnik are featured: Pile Gate, Pile Harbor, Bokar Fortress, Minceta Tower, Fort Lovrijenac, Dominican Monastery, Sponza Palace, Spanish Steps, Ethnographic Museum and Ploce Gate.
Other Fun Things to Do
We had a few other things on our “to do” list, which I had researched, but we simply ran out of time. When we go back there (which we will!) we’ll definitely do these as well:
Visit Plaža Banje Beach – only a 5-10 minute walk from the Stradun through the Ploce gate. You will see wide stairs on your right (about 500 meters from the gate) heading down to the pebbly beach.
Kayak or Boat to Betina Cave Beach – this beach an only be reached from the sea and is inside a large natural cave. There are also stairs going up te side of the outer cave edge which lead to some great cliff jumping.
Take the Dubrovnik Cable Car to the top of Srd Hill – the hill overlooks the old town of Dubrovnik and out to the sea. On a clear day you can see 60 km! There is a restaurant at the top and you can also choose to do activities such as a buggy safari, hiking or visit the Homeland War Museum. A round trip costs about 100 kuna per adult.
Visit the Buza Bar – there are two Buza bar locations which are literally holes in the city wall that lead to the cliffs on the south side of the wall (one bar is smaller than the other). If you find your way to the street/alley named Petra Krešimira IV, you will see a sign with an arrow that says “cold drinks with the most beautiful view”. Simply follow the sign and you’ll find yourself in a small cliffside bar that serves only drinks and spectacular views out towards Lokrum Island and the sea.
Final Word
This first stop on our tour of the gorgeous Dalmatian Coast was just breathtaking. We had two full days there but could easily have stayed for five days. The city is beautiful, the food is amazing, the people are incredibly hospitable and the scenery is just magic. Definitely planning another trip back!