After pretending to be James Bond in Casino Royale while driving through lush Montenegro, our trip continued on to the country of Croatia. The destination this day was to the walled city of Dubrovnik. We traveled the Dalmation Coast roads on our way to the city. Along the commute we witnessed amazing scenery and some of the bluest water we have ever seen in the Adriatic Sea. **Bucket List Alert – Sailing the Dalmation Coast!** Unfortunately, our trip did not stop and allow us to swim and play in crystal clear waters so that is another trip for another day.
When we finally arrived in our destination it far exceeded our expectations. Just a short history lesson on Dubrovnik – it is not the largest city population-wise (about 40,000), but it has an incredibly intact defensive stone wall that surrounds what is now known as Old Town. The wall was considered one of the greatest fortifications during the Middle Ages and never fell to an enemy army. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dubrovnik is also known as The Pearl of the Adriatic and The City With Orange Tile Roofs.
We stayed in a hostel far from the walled area of Dubrovnik, but we spent most of our time within the walls soaking up the atmosphere and exploring the shops and bars. Dubrovnik can be crowded with tourists at times, and those tourists favorite activity is to walk along the top of the wall that surrounds the city. The wall is a little over a mile in length, and it provides wonderful views of the orange-tiled roofs covering the city as well as great views of the Adriatic Sea. It does cost about $16, but it is well worth it. One note – it can get quite hot during the day so its most comfortable to walk the wall in the morning or evening.
Dubrovnik also has a memorable bar scene. During the day, Old Town has many pubs tucked away down alleyways where you can grab an Ožujsko and get a little relief from the hustle of tourist shoppers. According to Wikipedia, 10 bottles of Ožujsko are consumed every SECOND! If sitting inside a dark pub on a beautiful day isn’t your thing, there are also cafe/bars directly outside the walls that are situated on the gorgeous water. The outside bars are a bit pricey, but its hard to put a price on soaking up some sun while enjoying that view. On a beautiful day it is a MUST.
Jen and I did partake a bit in the enjoyable nightlife of the city. It is kind of a blur because we hopped around, but we did enjoy our time at the Casablanca bar. It was a reasonably priced place with a fun-loving crowd and a couple of random go-go dancers. Random Fact – The night we partied here we learned that Michael Jackson had died. Even in Croatia that news spread like wildfire.
Dubrovnik also has a rich cultural history with many museums and landmarks.
Overall, Dubrovnik was my favorite European city and HIGHLY recommended for everyone.
On a fun side note in case you needed another reason to get on a plane right now and go to Croatia – Dubrovnik is used in Game of Thrones as scenery for Kings Landing.
For more information:
Game of Thrones – Dubrovnik Tour
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