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Dubrovnik is an old city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist resorts of the Mediterranean, a seaport and the center of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "Pearl of the Adriatic" and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city of Dubrovnik (Latin: Ragusa) was built on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages, it became the only city-state in the Adriatic to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development during the 15th and 16th centuries. Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the centers of the development of the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists, and other scholars.
Today Dubrovnik is the proudest feather in Croatia's... Read more
Dubrovnik is an old city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist resorts of the Mediterranean, a seaport and the center of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "Pearl of the Adriatic" and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city of Dubrovnik (Latin: Ragusa) was built on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages, it became the only city-state in the Adriatic to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development during the 15th and 16th centuries. Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the centers of the development of the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists, and other scholars.
Today Dubrovnik is the proudest feather in Croatia's tourist cap, an elite destination and one of the most beautiful towns in the Mediterranean. Dubrovnik used to be an independent republic, surviving mostly on trade. It managed to survive many centuries, with constant threats to its territory, particularly from the mighty Ottoman Empire and Venice. As early as the19th century, it was discovered by celebrities as a place to be seen. George Bernard Shaw once said that "those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik and find it." Royalty, presidents, and diplomats have all favored the city. The late Pope John Paul II was a fan of Dubrovnik and was even made an honorary citizen.
Dubrovnik is steeped in stunning architecture and sculptural detail and boasts spectacular churches, monasteries, museums, and fountains. A multitude of typical towns and excursions include The Elaphiti Islands, the attractive town of Cavtat, the Konavle valley, Mljet Island, Korčula Island, Ston, and Peljesac Peninsula. The neighboring towns of Kotor and Perast in Montenegro or Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina also make for intriguing day trips.
The Old Town can be comparatively difficult to navigate on first appearances, as it really is a warren of little streets. There are however signs at the entrances to many of these streets advertising what businesses, shops, restaurants, and accommodation are to be found in that direction.
That being said, some of these signs appear to be either intentionally misleading or woefully out of date. For example, there is no office of any bus company within the Old Town, despite what the signs may say.
The city is completely pedestrianized and easily small enough to get around on foot, some of the streets are a little steep though.
It's relatively simple to get to the Old Town by bus, as just about every one leads to the Old Town. However, it might be advisable to get a timetable just in case. At selected kiosks (including the international bus station) you can purchase a day pass. This pass is valid for 24 hr of unlimited travel on the city bus network, starting from the first validation. The easiest way to get from the Main Bus Station to the Old Town is by using the (mostly modern and air-con equipped) buses number 1, 1A and 1B, which circulate almost constantly. These buses can be boarded from the bus stop just outside the Main Bus Station. Apart from this, there is another bus service which comes inside the bus station and drops you directly at the Old Town. Schedules are available at the information counter of the Main Bus Station.
Dubrovnik was heavily bombed in late 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence (part of a series of wars in the region). Almost all of the damage has been repaired; however, if you look closely around the old town, mortar damage in the cobblestone streets and bullet marks in the stone houses are visible.
Walk on the walls around the old town, great views. It is highly recommended to visit the walls during the early morning hours or the late afternoon hours during mid-summer months as it can become hot.
Dubrovnik is surrounded by City Walls which are 2 km long and for which it is famous all around the world. Through the history City Walls were protection from the enemy, today Dubrovnik City Walls brings the visitors from the whole world who want to see this city- museum. There are 3 entrances to the City Walls: on Stradun by the Pile gate, by fort Saint John’s and at the Custom’s House gate.
Within the City Walls, you will see Fort Minceta and Fort St. John’s on the south-eastern side. Also, within the City Walls are Fort Lawrence at Pile and Fort Revelin at Ploce. The main entrance to the City Walls is by the Inner Pile Gates.
Minceta Fort is one of the most beautiful cultural attractions in Dubrovnik. It is situated on the northwest side of the city inside the City Walls. It was built according to the design of Renaissance builder Juraj Dalmatinac. St. Luke’s Tower you can see walking along the landward side of City Walls up to Ploce Gate. St. Luke’s Tower has protected the entrance to the Dubrovnik harbor throughout the history of the city.
St John’s Fort was constructed in the 16th century and it is really worth of visiting- on its ground floor you can visit the Aquarium, and on the first and second floor, you can visit Maritime Museum.
Bokar Fort is situated on the seaward of City Walls. It was designed by Florentine architect Michelozzi in the 15th century.
Hours: 08:00-19:00.
Some museums offer a discount ticket if you visit more than one museum.
Dubrovnik is an excellent starting point for exploring southern Adriatic coast primarily Elaphite islands, Korčula, Pelješac, and Mljet. There are many charter agencies where you can charter a sailing or motor yacht which are based in Dubrovnik. Majority of them operate from ACI marina Dubrovnik which is based in Komolac about two nautical miles away from the entrance to the port Gruz and only 6 kilometers away from the old town. It is open throughout the whole year.
Dubrovnik is characterized by the Mediterranean climate and generally light NW winds, making a yacht charter holiday very popular with couples with younger children and less experienced skippers and crews. A strong north wind known as the Bora is more usual during autumn and winter.
When you charter a yacht through a charter agency and arrive at the designated marina there are a few things that need to be done. The most important thing is the yacht check in (usually Saturday around 16:00). Take your time doing yacht check in. Familiarise yourself with the chartered yacht and with the yacht equipment.
The rule of thumb is the more time you take for the yacht check in, the less time you will need for the yacht check out. After that, you have to do the shopping for the charter vacation.
Don't neglect the grocery shopping because the sea is unpredictable and you don't want to get stuck on the boat without anything to eat or drink. You can do the shopping in a marina however the prices are usually much higher there, or you can order from yacht provisioning services who usually deliver the products to the marina at no extra fee.
There is a wide range of restaurants in the Old Town, mostly offering a very similar menu of local seafood and some meat dishes. The cuisine may not be very imaginative, but it is usually of good quality and very fresh.
Restaurants can be crudely separated into (slightly) cheaper tourist-trap places, and more expensive but first class gastronomic restaurants. There are a few pizzerias, mostly wood-fired and quite acceptable. The Kraš chocolate sold at stores is delicious. Remember that Dubrovnik, more so than the rest of Croatia, is well aware of its status as a tourist hot-spot. Rents for restaurant premises are high and consequently, the prices on the menus reflect this.
Note that in the off-peak season of November–March nearly all the top-end restaurants close, leaving only a handful of desperate tourist trap enterprises operating and still charging high prices. You can however still eat well and discounts can be negotiated.
Dubrovnik cuisine is characteristically not very spicy and is famous for traditionalism. Many popular meals are characteristic of Dubrovnik such as zelena menestra (it is the name for many sorts of cabbages and other vegetables with meat), the meat dish pašticada and the famous caramel-based dessert dubrovačka rozata.
Since Dubrovnik restaurants are quite popular, many mid-range and high-end establishments provide the option of online reservation. English-language menus are found everywhere.
The most popular hard alcohol in Croatia is homemade rakija. This is a very strong distilled drink made from a variety of fruits. Examples include šljivovica, made from plums, loza, made from grapes, and orahovica, made with walnuts. All are quite strong.
There are many excellent local wines from both the Pelješac Peninsula and Konavle and it is often less expensive than soft drinks like Coca-Cola. However, be careful when purchasing wine from unlicensed dealers. Croatian beer is also good and popular, though none is made in the Dubrovnik region.
There are numerous cafes throughout the Old Town and the entire city with prices varying according to the location (particularly, those located on the Stradun are by far the most expensive but you are paying for the ambiance and people-watching as well). Most cafes serve a wide variety of drinks all day.
Walk towards the sea from Stradun near the Ploce gate, and you'll hit a tiny square with outdoor seating by 4 or 5 different pubs, with live music playing, and large cocktail pitchers with very low alcohol content.
There are many local artisans who specialize in domestic crafts. Popular purchases include handmade tablecloths, linens, and napkins. Many merchants claim that the necktie was invented in Croatia. Another local specialty is little dolls dressed in local garb.
The Pharmacy, at the Franciscan Monastery, creates hand creams and other toiletries based on ancient recipes. The pharmacy is one of the oldest in this part of Europe. It has been operating from the time of its foundation to the present day.
While wandering around the Old Town, you will come across many shops that sell Croatian goods such as wine and textiles.
If you have transport there is a Lidl (German discount supermarket) 5 km east of the Old Town near the village of Čibača - this is where the locals shop to avoid steep Dubrovnik prices.
LOCAL TIME
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January 28, 2021
Europe/Zagreb
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I went to Dubrovnik from Herceg Novi by bus. It took an hour and a half. The ticket cost 9 euro (as of 2015) and there was some charge for baggage. At the station, you are attacked by local residents, who offer accommodation. After bargaining, a woman took me to her house in the city center, giving... |
Croatian
Dubrovnik
, located on the Adriatic coast on the opposite coast from Bari, Italy, was our final stop as part of the cruise.
I didn't expect anything interesting from this stop, so I was surprised to see how interesting the city looked. Quiet, small, and pleasant. With an... |
We came to the port of
Dubrovnik
.
Can you see the cat in this photo?
It is there... :)
Two local (!!!) women were trying to fish here. For their cats, apparently, because they were running after them across the entire harbor :) choosing a new spot for fishing every once in... |
Dubrovnik
is absolutely a tourist city!
And not because of crowds of tourists per square foot, but because everything there is made for tourists. And it is absolutely useless to look for a local flavor there.
We had a quick walk around the city.
On one hand, the city is certainly... |
After descending from the mountain on the cable car we had a little time so we walked along the
fortress wall
. We didn't have enough time to walk across the whole city. However this outing was not free, as in other cities, and cost us 10 euros. The modern city stretches behind the walls... |
We were given 2 hours of free time. It's possible to walk through
Dubrovnik
along the fortress wall, or you can climb the mountain by cable car and have a chance to see an unobstructed, 365 degree view of the city from above. We left the walls and headed to the cable car. Steps are... |
At 8 am we arrived in
Dubrovnik
(Croatia).
Here is a closer look:
And even closer:
And this is a view to the right:
We were brought ashore by boat. We didn't have visas and were told to take our passports to put an entry and exit visa on it but no one checked us and put... |