dubrovnik
The city you must visit
Reading time 6 min
What would summer be like if it was not hot and humid? But that did not stop us too much from discovering the beauties this destination provides. After several hours of sightseeing in the hope of finding at least a little refreshment, we descend to the nearby beach. We sit by the very edge of the sea, almost the only free spot on the beach. Aromatic scents of salt, pine, and cypress spread through the air. Relaxed, we listen to the sound of the sea, which slowly, in waves, reaches the tips of our feet.
In the background, music comes from a nearby bar, interrupted by the voices of people who, like us, enjoy the benefits of the sun and the clear blue sea. The beach is full of sunbeds and umbrellas. For those, a little harder to please, there are beds surrounded by canopies. Sailboats and large cruisers blocked our view of the open sea. Does this sound like one of the world’s top destinations to you?

Yes, you are right. This city is known to a large number of the inhabitants of this planet. It has been visited by numerous sounding names, including Prince Edward, Elisabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Cruise, Kevin Spacey, John Malkovich. Dubrovnik is often classified as an expensive destination, but it is no longer necessary to be a celebrity and have a lot of money to have a good time.
Dubrovnik has been visited by numerous sounding names, including Prince Edward, Elisabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Cruise, Kevin Spacey, John Malkovich.
The city of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board came up with a laudable idea. Namely, in 2010 a program called “Dubrovnik Quality Private Services” was launched, the aim of which is to unite the services offered by Dubrovnik and to enable the availability of a stay in the city to every guest who wants to visit it. At affordable prices, you can provide accommodation, food, sightseeing of the cultural and monumental heritage of Dubrovnik, tickets for public transport, as well as the main entertainment package. Do you need anything more? Um, maybe a great companion with whom to share the joys of relaxation and fun.


Most of Dubrovnik’s everyday life takes place in the fascinating ambiance of the historic city center. A visit to the city walls, up to 25 meters high, will give you a completely different dimension of the view of the city or, better said, of the vivid roofs of buildings, chimneys, and bell towers. The walls are a total of 1,940 meters long. Although sightseeing is not recommended in the hottest time of the day, as it was in our case, it is comforting that you can find refreshments in one of the bars located on the walls. Since we were in a crowd with numerous tourists of all races and nations, we would say that the heat and hotheads do not worry anyone.

After the walls, it is inevitable to walk along the main city street, the most popular meeting place for the people of Dubrovnik, but perhaps even more tourists – Stradun – which is joined on both sides by picturesque streets with many restaurants and cafes. If you take Stradun from the direction of Pila, you start from the square in the center of which is the large domed Onofrio’s Fountain. Next to the fountain is a complex of monasteries and the Franciscan Church of the Little Brothers, which includes a pharmacy that is one of the oldest in Europe (built 1317).
On the opposite side of Stradun, you will end up in the main square. In the center of it stands out a tall stone pillar better known as Orlando’s Column. In ancient times, all the most important decisions of the state government were published from that place, and today are the openings of the traditional festival of St. Vlaho and the events of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. Next to the square is the Sponza Palace, a building that once served as a customs house, mint, treasury, bank, and vault, and today is a rich historical archive.


There is a 31-meter-high city bell tower on which are bronze soldiers Maro and Baro, who carefully tick the clocks with the bats blows into a bell weighing two tons. It is interesting to visit the city port, where merchant sailing ships used to come from all over the world. Today you will find faithful replication there that will deceive you for a moment that you are in the past. To the left of the port rises the fortress of Revelin, and near it Lazareti. Lazareti is a well-preserved quarantine building where merchants and passengers arriving by ships had to carry out a 40-day quarantine (as a precaution against the spread of once incurable infectious diseases). In the old town you will find a rich historical heritage, tradition, art, old and new, and what to visit – the decision is not easy.

If you were thrilled by the other dimension of the city view from the walls, then the sight of Dubrovnik from a bird’s eye view will surely leave you breathless. It is necessary to climb the hill Srđ above the northern side of Dubrovnik, which has always been a favorite picnic spot for the locals. You can take the cable car to it. All those who do not have skiing experience and do not love cable cars can do so by car, on a narrow asphalt road. The road is winding and very tight, and in the encounter with a car coming from the opposite direction, in addition to the phobia of heights, you will probably start to feel another kind as well. But the view from the hill is a reward for all the fear you have suffered, especially if you catch it at sunset.

You must visit
- The Old City Walls
- Stradun of Dubrovnik
- The Large Fountain of Onofrio and St. Saviour Church
- Game of Thrones Walking Tour of Dubrovnik
- Hill Srđ – Dubrovnik cable car
- Banje Beach
- The Island of Lokrum
Useful information
- To and from Dubrovnik – Dubrovnik Airport
- The tourist Office Dubrovnik – Tourist Board
- Getting around Dubrovnik – Dubrovnik bus station
- Save on sightseeing, public transportation – Dubrovnik Card
If you are a fan of natural beauty, we recommend you explore the surroundings of Dubrovnik. Seek a refreshment in the deep shade of the trees along the bubbling river Ljuta in Konavle. Be careful when ordering in the restaurant. The prices are not suitable for those with empty pockets. Be sure to visit the island of Lokrum in front of Dubrovnik and its botanical garden, as well as the relatively new and beautifully landscaped promenade on Lapad, with many cafes, where you will meet most (particularly younger) Dubrovnik residents in the evening.

Conclusion
A visit to the southern part of Croatia and Dubrovnik will leave a memorable impact on you. If you have not been yet, hurry up, and if you have been, we believe you will want to do it all over again as we did.
TEXT – Vesna Dzuverovich
PHOTO – Robert Blaskovich