Holidays in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is ideal for short vacations. It combines activities such as strolling along the city walls, sailing, and day trips to islands. But let’s have a closer look at Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik: The jewel of Adriatic Sea, which was known as King’s Landing, for 10 consecutive years, in HBO series, Game of Thrones. I’ve always wanted to visit Dubrovnik, in order to form my own view, whether it is as beautiful and picturesque, as it looks in the photos!
Thus, on April 2018, I got on the plane and in less than two hours, I landed in Dubrovnik! I still remember the view from aeroplane’s window, as we were approaching to the airport. The landscape was quite spectacular and impressive: a cloudy sky, the first rays of the sun, the turquoise waters had darkened a bit, the cliffs; all these took my breath away! I felt instantly that I was going to have a great time. And this is what happened: I met 30 people, total strangers and we were the best company. We spent all together, 4 wonderful days, as if we had known each other for years.
Important tip: The best life scenarios are written completely out of the blue and on the spur of the moment.
What time of the year is the best for visiting?
I strongly recommend April, because in my opinion, it’s one of the best months for planning this trip, regarding weather and tourism!
Dubrovnik is a place, whose tourism has increased in recent years by 24%, due to the filming of the Game of Thrones!
Dubrovnik is quite overcrowded already since April. During Summer, tourism increases even more, especially inside the walls of the old city! Therefore, if you want to really enjoy your time in Dubrovnik, it’s better not to visit it in Summer!
MUST see!
Don’t neglect to make a walking along the city walls to enjoy the astonishing view. After all, this is also one of the main highlights of Dubrovnik. Of course, there is an entrance fee around 15-20 euros / person, but it’s really worth it, so don’t think about it twice! The best time to enjoy the walk on the walls, is either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. It’s quite a long route and I wouldn’t recommend it, when the sun is still up.
Did you know that the old city of Dubrovnik has been declared a world heritage site of Unesco;
The alleys inside the old city are extremely beautiful and amazing! If you were also a fan of Game of Thrones series, you will recognize many landscapes and many scenes from the series. Dubrovnik is a city that you instantly fall in love with and isn’t easily forgotten!
In the old town, there are a few nice bars and on the other side of the old city’s gate, there is a very nice club, to which only foreigners pay an entrance fee! I would suggest to visit this club, in case you are a big group and want to see Dubrovnik’s nightlife.
Also, don’t miss visiting the highest point of Dubrovnik, where there is also the cable car. On the top of the hill, there is also a cafe-restaurant but it’s quite difficult to find a table. However, the view from this spot is amazing!
Avoid taxis
Taxis in Dubrovnik are very expensive, so avoid using them. Better use an Uber, which comes right away and the price is 70% cheaper. Also, if you are a group of people, you can order a large Uber – which is even cheaper.
Time for lunch / dinner
The food is nothing special. There is nothing famous in Croatian cuisine! And I don’t even remember eating anything delicious. Avoid mainly the touristry restaurants and the rest are more or less similar.
Time for a walk and a daily trip
I do remember, the sailing boat we rented, in order to take a mini-cruise to the nearby islands with final destination: Lopud island). Don’t worry if nobody knows how to sail, because captain’s service is included in the price! The route is very nice. On Lopud Island, there is the beach called Sunj Beach, which is worth visiting. You can get there either by foot – it’s about a 45-minute walk from the port – or by a small golf car. The waters are quite shallow but hiking is really worth it.
Dubrovnik is a small city and you don’t need more than two days.
Road tripping
If you like road tripping, you can also travel to Montenegro and more specifically to Kotor and to Budva (Budva).
Montenegro
The bay of Kotor is quite impressive and its old town is beautiful. Kotor’s habitants are relaxed, cheerful and have a great sense of humor. It’s no coincidence, after all, that Kotor’s habitants have written the famous decalogue of the Ten Commandments. that illustrates their philosophy on life!
- Man is born tired and lives to rest.
- Love your bed as much as you love yourself.
- Rest during the day so you can sleep at night.
- Don’t work – work kills.
- If you see someone resting, help them.
- Work as less as you can and handover all the work you can to someone else.
- No one died because of rest.
- Work causes disease – don’t die young.
- If there is an urgent need to work, sit down, wait and see what happens.
- When you see people eating and drinking, approach them. When you see people working, don’t disturb them.
Didn’t you like these people already? People in Kotor have found the meaning of life! At first, it’s easy not to get a clear picture for them, but the more you talk to them, the more you like them.
Butwa is also a city by the coast, but with a complete different style. In 1979, it was hit by an earthquake and most of the old city was ruined. Almost all the buildings were reconstructed in their original form. So if you visit the old town, you will be shocked! You think that houses are abandoned and nobody leaves there, you discover that people still live inside.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
I only spent one day in each city, and also visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, with one stop in between in Trebinje, where Trebisnica river crosses that city. Trebinje is also a very beautiful place. The central square of the city, reminded me of a Greek village’s square, with the classic plane tree in the middle.
In the town of Trebinje, I ate one of the nicest and cheapest cheese pies of my life! It was a real delicious surprise.
In general, life in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina is quite cheap compared to Dubrovnik. For better or for worse, the HBO series, Game of Thrones, made Croatia and especially Dubrovnik, really famous, and as a result an expensive city.
The people in all three countries are kind, hospitable, cheerful and full of humor. They look a lot like Greeks, as it seems we share the same madness and laughter.
Dalmatian coast here we go!
