Conventional cruise wisdom has it that when you get into port, you should be first off the ship to get as much time as you can in each destination. Great in theory, but it didn’t take into account that our arrival into Dubrovnik would coincide with a torrential rainstorm – and an umbrella shortage. So, feeling just a little bit guilty, we hung out in the jacuzzi first while else trudged around in the rain. It turned out to be a good choice though as an hour later the sun was shining, raincoats were swapped for sunglasses, and Dubrovnik looked like a whole different place.
The city has attracted more than its share of superlatives over the years – it’s known as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ and according to playwright George Bernard Shaw “Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik”. Big words – but Dubrovnik lived up to the high expectations and we couldn’t help being charmed by our taste of the city.

The old town of Dubrovnik
Entering the city through the Pile Gate, there might be a lot more visitors and gift shops than a few centuries ago but there’s still the feeling that not too much else has changed. The old city is pedestrianised, so you don’t have to worry about traffic as you wander through the marble-paved streets – probably a good thing as it’s hard to keep your eyes on the road when there are so many beautiful buildings around. Central Dubrovnik is a jumbled mixture of Gothic and Renaissance churches, Venetian palazzos and carved fountains, mixed in with terrace restaurants and a growing array of smart boutiques and hotels.

Dizzying steps up to a church spire and Dubrovnik’s harbour
But one of the best things to do in Dubrovnik is to get up high above the city onto its walls. The whole of the old city is encircled by 1.2 miles of thick stone walls which reach up to 25 metres high and six metres wide in places and have been protecting the city for centuries – whether that’s from invaders or earthquakes. The first city walls were built in the 11th century but the shape you see today dates back to the 14th century when Dubrovnik gained independence from Venice. As well as the walls there are four gates to let people in and out – two by land and two by sea – and four fortresses to protect the most vulnerable points.

Ruined buildings lining the edge of the walls
Despite more than its fair share of attacks over the years, the walls protected Dubrovnik for centuries without ever being breached. But one thing that has left its mark on them is a more recent conflict – the Balkan Wars. The city was subject to major bombing during the 1990s, though it’s hard to spot it now. The only clues you have are the pockmarks left on some buildings and a few roofs which have been restored, with their bright orange newer roof tiles standing out against the more weathered originals.

Bell towers and hidden courtyards
Our route around the walls started near the Pile Gate and headed up a steep flight of stairs to the top of the walls. From up there you get a much better idea of Dubrovnik’s layout – as well as some pretty fantastic views of the city and the Adriatic Sea. The width and height of the walls varies as you walk around – getting as narrow as a metre wide in some areas and with dizzying views down into the narrow streets below.

The island of Lokrum as seen from the walls
Walking the walls also gives you a bird’s-eye view right into the homes and gardens of the city’s residents. You get little snapshots of their everyday life as you pass – hanging out washing from their windows, drinking coffee in the garden, stretched out on the rocks catching some sun. Though you can’t help wondering what they make of having a procession of tourists wandering past every day, and whether they resent having to close their shutters to escape the constant eyes and camera lenses.

Looking back over the old port to St John’s fortress
The hazy afternoon sunshine was just about perfect for walking the walls – in the height of summer the sun beating down from above and the heat from the stone below can make it a hard slog. Around halfway round there is a bar built into one of the fortresses where you can grab a water or a fresh orange juice. But we held out until the end – I’d been tipped off about Buža bar which we spotted en route, and a seat under the umbrellas right on the waterfront looked hard to beat. But first we had earn that drink.

The city walls climb uphill – and looking down on Buža bar
The final stretch of the walls took us on a climb up yet more steps – somehow we seemed to go up twice as many as we went down – towards the highest point of the walls at the Minčeta Tower. From the top the buildings way below looked like a patchwork quilt, with rooftops making up the different patches. Church domes and bell towers poked up through the sea of red roofs, with the deep green forests of Lokrum island in the background. Then after an hour’s worth of walking and snapping away we headed downhill back onto the city streets, having got a better perspective on the city in more ways than one.

A patchwork of rooftops seen from the top of the Minčeta Tower
The details
Dubrovnik’s city walls are open 8am–7.30pm during June and July; 8am–6.30pm during April, May, August and September; 8am–5.30pm during October; and 9am–3pm for the rest of the year. Admission costs 120 kn per person (about £13). It’s a good idea to get there early or late in the day to beat the worst of the crowds – and the summer heat – and to bring water with you as there’s not much shade up there. There are entrances to the walls by the Pile Gate and Ploče Gate – start at the Ploče Gate to get the worst of the climbing done first, or at the Pile Gate to build up to the best views from the highest point right at the end. Either way you have to follow an anticlockwise route around the walls.
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I visited Dubrovnik as part of a Celebrity Cruises Venice to Istanbul cruise. Many thanks to Celebrity for hosting my mum and I on the trip. All views and opinions are, as always, my own.
61 Comments
Vlad
July 10, 2014 at 10:53 amDubrovnik is included in one of the trips I’m planning for 2015, and thanks to another post of yours, I want to include a couple of days to visit the Bay of Kotor as well. I must say this in every comment, but you do take stunning pictures! 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:50 pmThanks! That sounds like a fantastic trip – I’m hoping to get back to Croatia next year and see a bit more of the area around Istria in the north.
Jen Seligmann
July 10, 2014 at 10:59 amStunning place, stunning photos! You wouldn’t even know it had been raining earlier. This is definitely something I will be doing in Dubrovnik (fingers crossed) next year.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:51 pmWe definitely got lucky on the weather front, it was torrential a couple of hours earlier! Great that you are planning on heading out there next year, it’s a great place.
Sonia
July 10, 2014 at 11:01 amGoing here in Aug….looking forward to it!
Thanks for the tips!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:52 pmHope you have a great trip!
Viaggiando con Bea
July 10, 2014 at 1:10 pmReally nice reportage. Dubroinik is one of the town I wish o visit. Ciaoo Bea
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:53 pmThanks Bea, hope you get to visit sometime soon!
aBitofCulture
July 10, 2014 at 1:24 pmWe had a downpour when we wanted to walk the walls, so waited until 4pm when the sun came out and the tourists had returned to their ships, so we had the walk more or less to ourselves. I remember you wrote about the Kotor walls last year – which did you prefer?
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:55 pmHmm, difficult one, I enjoyed both but think Dubrovnik was my favourite as there’s a bit more to see – the Kotor walls go much higher so have more panoramic views but I liked being able to peek into the city!
Actually Mummy
July 10, 2014 at 1:41 pmDubrovnik sounds like such a fascinating city – all that history and such a difficult recent past. I’d love to visit one day.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:56 pmIt’s got a really good combination of history and culture plus some beautiful beaches and countryside too!
DebraB
July 10, 2014 at 3:28 pmWow! I had no idea Dubrovnik was so beautiful! Thanks for enlightening me1
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:59 pmThanks Debra, it’s a gorgeous place!
tommyshaw
July 10, 2014 at 3:46 pmI have to get to that buza bar place, looks amazing! Great pic, looks like an amazing city.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:59 pmSuch a great location isn’t it – love how they’ve managed to squeeze it in right on the edge of the cliff!
Janice & George (@SandInSuitcase)
July 10, 2014 at 3:48 pmIsn’t it a fabulous walk around the wall atop the Old City! We loved peeking into people’s windows to see how they live :-). Fortunately, we’ve only encountered sunshine on our visits to Dubrovnik. We’ve also written recently about “Getting High: Walking the Dubrovnik City Wall” :-).
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 3:57 pmYou got lucky with the weather! Lovely to see your photos too, there are so many different angles and things to see you never get the same shots twice!
Suzanne Jones
July 10, 2014 at 3:48 pmI loved walking the walls when I visited Dubrovnik – in fact they had to chuck me off at closing time!
Loving your photos and hope to see the city again for myself later in the year 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 4:00 pmIf I hadn’t had a ship to catch I’d have been up there all day!
traveladdictuk
July 10, 2014 at 6:29 pmGoing to this city next August – thank you !
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 4:00 pmHope you have a fantastic trip!
Keli D Images
July 10, 2014 at 7:00 pmWOW! Wonderful post. I will be adding Dubrovnik to my list of cities to visit. Great photos!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 4:01 pmThanks so much – hope you get to make the trip someday, it’s a great city!
Naomi Todd (@todds_travels)
July 10, 2014 at 8:10 pmGot a serious case of travel envy – Dubrovnik has been on my to-go list for too long!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 4:02 pmIt took me years to get out there too! Hopefully you’ll get to make the trip soon though.
biancap01
July 11, 2014 at 4:43 amDubrovnik is one of my favorite places in the world! Lately I have been daydreaming of the possibilty of owning my own home there…
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 4:02 pmHow fantastic would that be! Thanks for reblogging.
inavukic
July 11, 2014 at 6:53 amFabulous, Dubrovnik! Close to my heart!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 4:03 pmSuch a great place isn’t it, I can see why you love it!
Top Down Time
July 11, 2014 at 3:15 pmGreat pics! Did you get a chance to try the food? We just spent a couple of weeks in Split and weren’t as blown away as we expected to be, having heard so much about Croatian food.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 11, 2014 at 4:05 pmThanks – we were only there briefly so didn’t get to try a lot of local food, hope to get back to Croatia next summer and do bit more of a thorough test!
Jen
July 11, 2014 at 10:25 pmAlthough it rained 95% of my time in Dubrovnik, I still appreciated the beauty of it all. You’re lucky that it was sunny though!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 13, 2014 at 8:08 amWe did get really lucky, especially as it rained that morning and evening!
thegrownupgapyear
July 11, 2014 at 10:47 pmHow pretty! I love all of the orange rooftops. It looks like a toy town from a distance.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 13, 2014 at 8:08 amIt does look like a model town doesn’t it!
Josh
July 12, 2014 at 1:17 pmUnfortunately I had a tiny fraction of my budget left when I finally got to Dubrovnik in the summer of 2012, so I couldn’t actually afford to part with the 100kn fee to walk the city walls 🙁
I still loved everything about it though, especially the fact that Game Of Thrones was fliming at the time! I saw Lord Bailish up to his dirty tricks on the waterfront.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 13, 2014 at 8:10 amOh no – you’ll have to go back sometime! I’m a bit late on the uptake and not seen any of Game of Thrones yet, will have to sort that out soon!
Rebecca Claire
July 13, 2014 at 8:02 amBeautiful photos! I can’t wait to get back to Dubrovnik!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 13, 2014 at 8:11 amThanks – I’d love to back and spend a bit more time there too!
Kinisi
July 15, 2014 at 3:22 amIncredible!! I’m planning to visit Dubrovnik (and a couple of surrounding towns) next year. I heard walking the walls is a must do, and your photos certainly cement that fact!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 22, 2014 at 3:17 pmWalking the walls is definitely a must-do in Dubrovnik, and if you get a nice day there are some great views over the city from the cable car up the mountain behind the city too.
Kinisi
July 25, 2014 at 2:11 amAmazing! So looking forward to it 🙂
atravelingb
July 16, 2014 at 3:22 amI just love the contrast of the orange walls and the deep blue water. Such a photogenic city. Great job capturing it, Lucy!
Lucy Dodsworth
July 22, 2014 at 3:17 pmThanks so much, I was so happy that the sun came out for long enough as it makes the colours look so much brighter!
The Enquirist
July 18, 2014 at 7:02 pmFantastic post! Dubrovnik looks lovely. I wonder how long before it becomes such a tourist haven that it starts to lose its charm (hopefully never.) I love your idea of seeing “snapshots of daily life.” That’s just the sort of thing I always miss when I travel.
Lucy Dodsworth
July 22, 2014 at 3:19 pmIt is definitely getting more and more popular and can get really crowded sometimes, but I think it’s still got lots of charm!
Melissa Kissiti
January 7, 2015 at 2:37 pmI really want to visit Dubrovik but limited annual leave
Lucy
January 8, 2015 at 11:22 amIt’s a lovely place, and totally possible to visit for a weekend, hope you get to make it there one day!
abakprithibi
April 25, 2015 at 4:14 pmVery nice blog…..last year we went to Dubrovik..wonderful place……your article revived the memories..
Lucy
April 26, 2015 at 6:55 pmGlad to bring back some good memories, it’s a lovely place – hope to make it back to see more someday.
Nikki
October 1, 2015 at 4:37 pmGreat blog post. I’d really love to visit one day, this has definetely made me want to do it sooner rather than later!
Lucy
October 3, 2015 at 4:54 pmIt is a such a beautiful place, hope you get to visit soon!
Daniel
January 11, 2017 at 12:56 pmI say to everyone visit Dubrovnik for sure as I did on my first trip to Croatia from Australia and fell for the country but make sure you head all the way up the coast to Rovin as tbe whole country is just as beautiful if not even more beautiful in parts. Oh and don’t leave out the islands, ie Hvar, Brac, Korcula,Vis, Murter, Losinj, Cres amongs my favourite as they are the countries true gems
Lucy
January 12, 2017 at 4:15 pmDubrovnik is definitely the starting point for a lot of people’s discovery of Croatia, so much more to see though – hopefully I’ll get back and explore some more soon.
patrizierin
May 7, 2017 at 4:05 pmWow, great article about Dubrovnik! One of my favorite cities in croatia! Can´t wait to go there again!
Very kind regards from Patricia
Lucy
May 7, 2017 at 9:55 pmThanks Patricia, hoping to get back to Croatia sometime soon too, it’s such a great country.
Phil
July 12, 2020 at 4:15 pmHey Lucy,
great post on Dubrovnik, thank you for the detailed information! I see you had a great time visiting the city!
I was traveling in the Balkans in summer 2019 and summarized my experiences on my blog with a focus on a compact summarized one day itinerary with maps and checklist.
My absolute favorite spot in Dubrovnik is the Lovrijenac Fortress with the great panoramic view of the city walls and the Adriatic.
Best wishes
Philipp
Lucy Dodsworth
July 23, 2020 at 1:16 pmThanks – yes it’s a wonderful place!
Jane
August 11, 2020 at 2:52 pmHi!
I have traveled to Dubrovnik only once. I live in Northern Europe and I have been to many places in Europe, but I can say for sure that Dubrovnik is one of its kind. I recommend it to everyone wanting to see lots of culture and embrace European history.
Lucy Dodsworth
August 14, 2020 at 6:09 pmIt’s a great city – hope to be able to explore more of Croatia soon too!