Dubrovnik Travel Guide

Why Dubrovnik Belongs on Every Croatian Itinerary

Dubrovnik stands apart from every other city in Croatia. The old city (Stari Grad) is encircled entirely by limestone walls first built in the 13th century and expanded to their current form by the 15th — 1,940 metres of continuous fortification that you can walk in around 90 minutes. Inside the walls, the city contains one of the most complete collections of Baroque and Gothic architecture in the Adriatic, entirely pedestrianised and largely unchanged in layout since the Republic of Ragusa traded independently from Venice and the Ottoman Empire for centuries.

The city's contemporary fame comes partly from its role as King's Landing in Game of Thrones (seasons 2–8 were partly filmed here), but its appeal goes far deeper than screen tourism. The Stradun — the main limestone thoroughfare polished by centuries of foot traffic until it shines — connects the Pile Gate to the Ploče Gate and leads to side streets containing the oldest functioning pharmacy in Europe (1391), the Rector's Palace, and a dozen churches that survived the 1667 earthquake that destroyed most of the city and was rebuilt in matching style.

Beyond the walls, the Dubrovnik Riviera extends south to the peninsula of Pelješac (famous for Plavac Mali red wine and Europe's finest oysters from Ston), while the Elaphiti Islands offshore offer some of the most beautiful boat days on the Adriatic. The day trips from Dubrovnik — to Bosnia's Mostar, to Montenegro's Kotor, to the islands — give the city considerable range as a base for a week's exploration.