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If you’ve never experienced a walled city in Europe before, look no further than Dubrovnik. It’s known for its facade of orange tiled rooftops and massive city walls, all on a small peninsula that juts out into the sea. It’s a small old town city but packs a lot for entertainment. You can find a Google map of the places I will discuss at the end of this post. Also, if you have more time in this part of the world, check out nearby Mostar, Bosnia (blog post here).

To get here, fly into Cilip airport (DBV) and take the shuttle bus (located in front of the terminal building) for 40 Croatian Kuna to the Pile Gate (journey time about 30 minutes), right outside the city walls.

For even cheaper fares, local buses 11 and 27 also take you to and from the airport with a handful of stops along the way. (Note: departing from Dubrovnik to the airport requires you to catch the bus at  Gruz Port, (the bus going to the airport does not pick up at Pile Gate). If you’re already in Europe and are ‘close-ish’ to Croatia, you can’t go wrong with Flixbus to get you to Dubrovnik. 

Upon arriving, you will probably be greeted by hoards of people, especially in the middle of summer, when tourist season is at its peak. You can circumvent this by going in the spring or early fall. Accommodation within the city walls is preferred since everything is just a short walk away (we stayed at City Walls Hostel). 

To get excellent views of the old town itself, it is recommend to walk along the city walls. To do this, you need to buy a ticket at one of the few entry points along the route (marked as ‘city walls walk’ on the google map below). The route takes anywhere from an hour or two, depending on your speed and how many photographs you decide to take. It’s perfect for getting an overview of the city and scouting out places you’d like to visit once you get down.

For an even better view, you can either take the Dubrovnik Cable Car up to Srd Hill or hike up to it starting at Staza Prema Utvrdi Imperial. Whichever way you decide to go, you can’t beat the breathtaking views of the old town. This is the perfect place for a sunset picnic when the weather is nice. Sunset is also peak times for the cable car, so come early and stay for a few hours.

If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of different landscapes, available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames).

The main strip of Dubrovnik is Stradun St., with shopes, nice restaruants, and bars that you can frequent. It’s very nice to walk along, but I would suggest getting food and other wares from shops off the beaten path, which you will find to be cheaper. Nonetheless, this area is ideal for people watching. 

Nearby is the Chruch of St. Ignatious and the Jesuit Staricase made famous by Game of Thrones. The steps will be occupied for much of the day by people posing for photos but the best time to enjoy it is after dinner. Here you can grab a drink from a local shop and enjoy it in the company of friends as the night descends. 

You also have the option of going to Buza bar for panoramic views of the Adriatic. This bar is located just beyond the city walls (but you enter it within the walls themselves).

Here people usually grab a drink or several, watch the sunset and stay until late. Be sure to get there early though for seats as space is limited and the popularity of this bar is increasing. 

To get a view of the city walls from the water, rent a kayak just outside Pile Gate at Kolorina. Don’t fancy kayaking, then just soak up the sun at the beach itself (also Kolorina). Another great spot for swimming is just along the outside of the city walls, near Poporela, the 19th century pier by the harbor. From this spot, if you keep walking along the outside of the walls, away from the harbor, you will see people swimming and sun bathing on the rocks nearby. 

Dubrovnik old town may be small but it offers a great variety of experiences. It is only getting more popular as a tourist destionatoin so I would recommend putting it high on your list of places to see.

Also: This is a popular destination for Game of Thrones fans, since ‘Kings Landing’ is modelled after Dubrovnik. For all enthusiasts, there are tours that take you to each filming location. 

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