Dubrovnik

The "Pearl of the Adriatic": a red-roofed Old Town ringed by UNESCO-listed walls, and the filming location for King's Landing in Game of Thrones.

Dubrovnik sits on Croatia's southernmost stretch of the Dalmatian coast. Known in the past as Ragusa, it was a maritime republic that rivaled Venice. The Old Town is completely encircled by walls about 1,940 m long. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, and its fame spread worldwide when it served as King's Landing in Game of Thrones. It is known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic."

Main sights: inside the Old Town, Stradun (Placa) links the Franciscan Monastery, Sponza Palace, the Rector's Palace, the Cathedral and the Dominican Monastery. Walking the walls takes about 2 hours. Take the cable car up Mount Srđ for a panoramic view. From the Old Port, catch a boat to Lokrum Island, or swim at Banje Beach or Lapad Bay, then watch the sunset from the Buža cliff bars in the evening. Day trips from the area include Cavtat to the south; Trsteno Arboretum, the Elaphiti Islands, Ston's walls and oysters to the north; or a catamaran trip to Mljet National Park and the old town of Korčula. Split, Hvar Island and Kotor in Montenegro are covered as separate itineraries.

Climate: May–June and September–October are the best seasons, with temperatures of 20–27°C, swimmable seas and moderate crowds. In July–August temperatures often exceed 33°C, cruise passengers flood in, and the Old Town is packed at midday. From November to March it is rainy and many island restaurants and ferry services are reduced, but the Old Town is quiet and accommodation is cheap.

Getting there: the airport is about 20 km from the Old Town, and the airport shuttle bus takes about 30 minutes. Cars are banned inside the Old Town; the bus hub is outside Pile Gate. Croatia uses the euro and is part of the Schengen Area. We recommend staying 3–4 days. Tips: the wall ticket is pricey, while the Dubrovnik Card covers the walls, museums and public transport. In summer, climb the walls before 8 a.m. or in the evening. Check cruise ship schedules to avoid the crowds. Most beaches are pebbly, so bring water shoes.

Top sights

• Walls of Dubrovnik – Encircling the Old Town with 1,940 meters of intact medieval walls rising up to 25 meters high, a two-hour circuit offers views over orange…
• Stradun (Placa) – A 300-meter marble main street running east to west through the Old Town, anchored at each end by the Great Onofrio Fountain and a bell tow…
• Mount Srđ Cable Car – A four-minute ride climbs 412-meter Mount Srđ, with views over the entire Old Town, Lokrum Island and the Adriatic. Sunset and night views…
• Lokrum Island – A forested island a 15-minute boat ride from the Old Town, with the ruins of a Benedictine monastery, peacocks, the “Dead Sea” salt lake, a…
• Fort Lovrijenac – Standing on a 37-meter sea cliff on the west side of the Old Town, this is the “Gibraltar of Dubrovnik.” It is the filming location of the…
• Rector's Palace – The palace of the Rector of the Republic of Ragusa, in a Gothic-Renaissance style with finely carved colonnades. It is now the Cultural His…
• Dubrovnik Cathedral – A Baroque cathedral rebuilt after the 1667 earthquake. Its treasury holds relics of Saint Blaise and a altarpiece painted by Titian's works…
• Franciscan Monastery & Old Pharmacy – A 14th-century monastery beside the Pile Gate, with an elegant Romanesque cloister. Its pharmacy, open since 1317, is one of the oldest in…
• Dominican Monastery – A Gothic monastery in the northeast corner of the Old Town, with a peaceful cloister. Its museum holds masterpieces of the Ragusan school a…
• Sponza Palace – A customs house and mint completed in 1516. It survived the 1667 earthquake and now houses the State Archives and a memorial room for the c…
• Church of St Blaise – A Baroque church dedicated to the city's patron saint, standing in Luža Square at the end of the Stradun. The Feast of Saint Blaise is held…
• Old Port of Dubrovnik – A small harbor embraced by the city walls. Boats to Lokrum Island and Cavtat, as well as sea kayaks for trips around the walls, all depart…
• Banje Beach – A pebble beach a short walk from the Old Town, just outside the Ploče Gate. From the water you can see the city walls and Lokrum Island, ma…
• Buža Bar – Pass through a small opening in the city walls and you reach an open-air bar built on seaside rocks. Watching the sunset with a drink here…
• Jesuit Stairs & St Ignatius Church – A Roman-style Baroque staircase completed in 1738, leading to St. Ignatius Church. It is also the starting point of Cersei's “Walk of Atone…
• War Photo Limited – A war photography gallery in the Old Town that uses powerful documentary images to show ordinary people caught in the Yugoslav wars and con…
• Lapad Peninsula & Bay – A relaxed peninsula west of the Old Town, with pebble beaches, a seaside promenade, and pine-shaded paths. Accommodation and restaurants he…
• Cavtat – A quiet seaside town south of Dubrovnik, with a palm-lined promenade around the harbor. On the hilltop cemetery stands the Račić family mau…
• Trsteno Arboretum – A botanic garden that grew out of a noble villa garden built by the Gučetić family in 1492. It features a Renaissance garden, a Neptune fou…
• Elaphiti Islands – A small island group northwest of Dubrovnik. Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan are quiet and car-free, and Lopud's Sunj Bay offers rare sandy beach…
• Mljet National Park – A green island covered in pine forest. Two connected saltwater lakes surround a 12th-century Benedictine monastery on a small island, and v…
• Dubrovnik Synagogue – A Sephardic synagogue on Jewish Street in the Old Town, considered one of the oldest synagogues in Europe still in use. It has a small muse…
• Trebinje – An Ottoman-style old town in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, rich in stone bridges, Orthodox churches and wineries. It is a popular cr…

Where to eat

• Restaurant 360 – Dubrovnik's Michelin-starred restaurant, set atop the historic city walls overlooking the Old Port, specializing in mod…
• Konoba Dubrava – A rustic tavern in the village of Bosanka on Mount Srđ, famous for its bell-dome slow-cooked lamb; pre-ordering the pek…
• Proto Fish Restaurant – An established seafood restaurant in the Old Town founded in 1886, featured in the Michelin Guide and famous for its ch…
• Taj Mahal – Despite its Indian-sounding name, this is actually a Bosnian restaurant in the Old Town, featuring meats from their own…
• Lokanda Peskarija – A seafood tavern next to the fish market in the Old Port, serving dishes in small metal pots, offering a value-for-mone…

Itineraries

• Classic Croatia: Zagreb to Dubrovnik – A classic first-time route from the capital via Plitvice Lakes, Zadar, and Split to Hvar and Dubrovnik.
• Dalmatian Island Hopping: Split to Dubrovnik – No driving required. Take catamarans to connect Hvar, Korčula, and Mljet, heading south all the way to Dubrovnik.
• Zagreb to Dubrovnik via Bosnia and Herzegovina – An in-depth, one-way self-drive route from inland Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Adriatic Coast
• Dubrovnik to Sarajevo Three-Country – Travel through Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to see red-roofed old towns, fjord-like bays, and Ottoma…
• Four-Country Balkan Loop: Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia & Montenegro – Travel from Belgrade through Sarajevo and Mostar to the coast, then cross Durmitor back to Serbia.
• Slovenia & Croatia Grand Tour – From Lake Bled to Dubrovnik, this route connects the Alps, Karst landscapes, Istria, lakes, and Adriatic islands.
• Split, Mostar & Bay of Kotor: 3-Country – Travel from Split into Bosnia and Herzegovina to Mostar, head south to Dubrovnik, and continue to Montenegro's Bay of K…