Dubrovnik, Croatia: the city of orange tiled roofs

Dubrovnik- The pearl of the Adriatic

Dubrovnik- The pearl of the Adriatic

Simply stated, Dubrovnik, Croatia was one of the highlights of our trip to the Balkans and is certainly deserving of the moniker ” the pearl of the Adriatic”.  Located on the far southern coast of Croatia, Dubrovnik is aided by spectacular scenery with the sparkling Adriatic Sea on one side, rugged mountains on the other, and a smattering of orange tiled roofs that seem to illuminate in the sunshine.  In our three days there, the weather was simply outstanding.  The bright blue sky and clear water of the Adriatic combined with the high density colors of the old town provided amazing opportunities for photo-op after photo-op.

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We had no particular agenda when visiting Dubrovnik other then to soak up the atmosphere of the old town and enjoy the weather and scenery.  The centerpiece of the city is the old town which is one of the older walled cities in the world.  The Stradun is the main street that connects the two main gates to the old town.  This main pathway is lined by elegant marble tiles which reflect so brightly on a sunny day making a warm day even warmer.

The Stradun in the old town of Dubrovnik

The Stradun in the old town of Dubrovnik

Besides exploring the small alley ways of the old town, we decided to walk the walls of the old town which was around 2 km in length although you do have to pay around $16 US to enter.  Being able to walk the walls provided a nice perspective of the old town and many great views of the orange tiled roofs.

View from the walls of the old town

View from the walls of the old town

If you want an even broader view of the old town, you can take a take a cable car ($15 US) or walk to the top of Mount Srd where there is a nice viewing platform that overlooks the city and coastline.

View from Mt. Srd

View from Mt. Srd

Besides the old town, there are number of beaches located throughout the city which provide a nice place to relax and enjoy the coast.  Although the word “beaches” needs to be taken in context.  We are used to sandy long stretches of beach here in the US, but a beach is quite different in Croatia.  The beaches are really a collection of rocks.  Although not great for walking or sitting, they are certainly scenic in their own right as long as your sitting in a beach chair.

Rocky beaches of Dubrovnik

Rocky beaches of Dubrovnik

The only downside to Dubrovnik was the shear amount of tourists that were visiting.  As summer months are prime cruising time, multiple cruise ships docked here each day.  The old town was extremely busy with cruise passengers although it didn’t diminish our enjoyment one bit. Our time in Dubrovnik was relaxing, pleasant and we hope to return in the future.

Bustling old town of Dubrovnik with many tourists during summer

Bustling old town of Dubrovnik with many tourists during summer

Tips: 1. During the summer months, hotels are extremely expensive near the old town.  For more reasonable accommodations look at hotels away from the center of the city.  We stayed at Hotel Lero which was reasonable and only a mile walk from the main gate of the old city.

2.  The restaurants and cafes in the main part of the old town are expensive with small portions and average quality.  For better dining experiences look away from the Old Town.  We happened to eat at Magellan Restaurant located close to our hotel (Hotel Lero) about a mile away from the old town.  Magellan has a nice outdoor patio overlooking the Adriatic and prices were reasonable. We never spent more then forty dollars on any dinner and that included drinks, entrees and a chocolate soufflé for dessert.

Magellan Restaurant near Hotel Lero

Magellan Restaurant near Hotel Lero

3.  If you want to take some great pictures of the old town and don’t want to pay to walk the walls or take the cable car to Mount Srd, then drive just south of Dubrovnik on highway 8.  Just south of the city, there is one particular lookout that had multiple parking spaces where there is a nice view of the old town as you look north along the coast line.

View from Highway 8 as you head south out of Dubrovnik

View from Highway 8 as you head south out of Dubrovnik

Comments

  1. The fortified part of the city looks best.

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