Dubrovnik

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Quick Facts

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Population

43,770 (2001)

Coordinates

• Latitude: 42.642756
• Longitude: 18.110658

On Travellerspoint

• 128 Dubrovnik Apartments
• 73 Dubrovnik Guesthouses
• 6 Dubrovnik Hostels
• 4 Dubrovnik Hotels

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Introduction

Dubrovnik

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Dubrovnik is a beautiful and intricate city in southern Croatia. Tourists from Europe and beyond flock to the city, drawn by its warm location on the Adriatic Sea and its historic Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Heavy shelling by Serbs in the 90s damaged the Old City considerably, but major efforts have helped bring it back to its former splendour.

Dubrovnik is also a regional hub of trade, thanks in large part to its seaport, which is one of the Adriatic Sea's major ports.

Neighbourhoods

• Old City is the walled part of the city and is the main tourist drawcard.
• Ploce lies just east of the Old City.
• Gruz
• Lapad is home to a lot of accommodation options, including a few large hotels.
• Babin Kuk has a few large hotels and the city's longest beach, named Copacabana.

Sights and Activities

The Old City

Dubrovnik's walled Old City dates back to the 13th century and is the main tourist attraction in Dubrovnik for good reason. Its cobbled streets and narrow alleys are packed with history and bustle with activity. A must is to get up on the wall and walk the perimiter, taking in the great views.

Within the walled old city, there are numerous museums, galleries and sights to take in. Listed below are some of the highlights.

• Pile gate is one of two gates that can be used to enter the walled city. It used to have a moat surrounding it and a drawbridge that closed at night. Now it's a walkway and the door is always open.
• Stradun is the ancient main street running through the Old City. Along it are any number of important institutions, buildings and attractions.
• Big Onofrio Fountain can be found near the Pile Gate entrance. It was built in 1438 to provide water from a spring 12 km away. It once was adorned with lots of sculptures, but was damaged in an earthquake in 1667. 16 carved masks remain, with water jets gushing from their mouths.
• Sponza Palace is a beautiful 16th century building that once served as the custom's house and then as the mint. It now houses the state archives. Several rooms inside are open to the public and dedicated to the history of Dubrovnik. Admission is free, it's open from 10am-10pm daily.
• The Dominican Monastery, founded in 1315, can be found near the Ploce Gate. Inside are a beautiful gothic cloister and some prized works of art, most famously Titian's Mary Magdalene with SS Raphael, Blaise and Tobias. It's located at Sveti Dominika 4, open daily from 9am-6pm (3pm in winter) and costs 10kn to enter.
• Dubrovnik Synagogue - Europe's second oldest synagogue and the oldest Sefardic synagogue in use in the world today. Several artefacts are on display inside, including a 13th-century Torah scroll from the Spanish expulsion of 1492. It's open 10am-8pm daily and costs 10kn to enter.
• Rector's Palace, once the seat of government in the old Republic, is a blend of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. The keys to the city's gates can be found here. Located at Pred Dvorom 3, open 9am-6pm daily, admission is 15kn.
• Dubrovnik Cathedral is the third church to stand on this spot, after a 14th century version was destroyed during the earthquake of 1667. That in turn was built atop a 7th century basilica. The remains of both earlier churches can still be seen within the cathedral. The Cathedral's treasury contains the arm, leg and skull of St Blaise, plated in gold. It costs 10kn to enter the treasury.
• Orlando Column, a column carved in 1417, is a popular meeting place that can be found at the eastern end of Stradun.
• The Franciscan Monastery includes a 14th century cloister and the oldest pharmacy in Europe still in operation (it opened for business in 1317)

Further Afield

• Lokrum is a small island in the Adriatic Sea, a short distance from Dubrovnik. Short boat rides leave from inside the old town's harbour every day. There's a ruined old monastery that you can climb to get panoramic views of Dubrovnik, the surrounding coast and the sea. There is also good snorkelling to be done all around the island, and for the really adventurous, the rocky coastline provides some excellent cliff-jumping opportunities. Checking the water you are jumping in before you do so is advisable, with the south of the island providing the highest adrenalin pumping jumps. There is also a nudist 'beach' here, but if you can brave the naked old men, it's worth it.

• Cavtat is a small sea side town that can be easily reached from the city using the local bus route no 10, with buses running every 30 minutes. The pleasant harbour of Cavtat provides an excellant place to relax in one of its traditional cafes. There are some other impressive sites though, which include the Rector's palace and a mausoleum.

• Elaphite Islands are a small group of islands to the north of Dubrovnik, with only three of them (Sipan, Lopud and Kolocep) being inhabited. Sipan is the largest of the three, though day trips can be made to any of three islands. All three of them boast of unspoilt beaches, quiet villages and a few architechtural sights. The best way to reach the Elaphite islands is to hop on a ferry operated by the Jadrolinija Company.

• Mljet Island is a beautiful island covered with thick forest and surrounded by lakes. There is also a national park on the western side of the island. The island can be reached by the ferry operated by the Jadrolinija Company.

Events and Festivals

• Dubrovnik summer festival, from mid-July to mid-August, is a major event in the city, with over a hundred performances held at various venues in the Old City.
• The Feast of St Blaise is celebrated on the 3rd of February
• Carnival is also celebrated in February.
• Libertas Film Festival is an international film festival celebrating independent films.

Weather

Dubrovnik's climate is typically Mediterranean with wet, mild winters and dry, hot summers. January is the coldest month (9 °C) and August the warmest (25 °C ). Temperatures in the peak season of July and August can reach as high as 38 °C. During winter, the city is considerably quieter, which in itself can make it a good time to visit.

Getting There

By Plane

Dubrovnik airport (IATA: DBV) (ICAO: LDDU) is situated some 20 km south of the city.

Croatia Airlines operates domestic flights to and from Zagreb and depending on the season, from Osijek, Zadar and Pula. They also have international connections to the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, as well as Amsterdam and Tel Aviv.

Other airlines flying into Dubrovnik include Aer Lingus (Dublin), Estonian Air (Tallinn), Jetair Fly (Brussels), British Airways and Thomson Airways (London) and Flybe (Birmingham).

In total, there are a couple of dozen of airlines serving the city, some of them only offering seasonal (summer) flights.

A taxi ride from the airport will set you back about 200 kn. Atlas provides a bus service to the Old Town or Gruž, but hotels are not necessarily within walking distance of either drop off point. Taxis are usually available to pick you up at the drop-off location.

By Train

There is no train station in Dubrovnik. The best you can do is catch a train to Split and then catch the bus from there. If you are travelling from Sarajevo or Mostar, you can also catch the train to Ploče on the Croatian coast. From there, it is about a 2 hour bus ride to Dubrovnik.

By Car

The coastal drive into Dubrovnik is a stunning trip along a road clinging to seaside cliffs. Along the way, there are many scenic towns and picturesque beaches to stop off at. Allow plenty of time for the journey from Split, as traffic can be bad and the winding roads do slow you down.

By Bus

Buses to Dubrovnik arrive at a newly constructed bus station in the Gruz neighbourhood. There are 8 buses daily from Zagreb, making the journey in about 11 hours. Buses run regularly along the coast from Zadar via Sibenik, Trogir, Split and Makarska to Dubrovnik. If you are catching coming from the direction of Split, then you will pass through Bosnia-Hercegovina briefly. It's worth having your passport handy, although a check is unlikely.

International buses run from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Medugorje, Trebinje, Mostar, Caplina) and Montenegro (Kotor, Budva, Ulcinj, Herceg Novi, Podgorica). There is lengthy bus trip from Trieste in Italy that runs every day and an even longer one from Münich and Frankfurt that runs most days.

By Boat

Domestic
Jadrolinija runs a ferry service down the coast from Rijeka, stopping off at Split, Stari Grad, Korčula and Sobra on the way, taking up to 20 hours to make the trip. The view of the coast line is the main entertainment on the trip.

Italy
From Bari, Azzurraline (summer) and Jadrolinija (all year) have crossings to Dubrovnik.

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Eating out in Dubrovnik is quite expensive, as most of the restaurants in and around the old town have been geared towards tourists. For those on something of a budget, buying some groceries at the small supermarkets dotted around can save you a fair bit of money. And the fresh vegetables are often of a better standard than those in British supermarkets.

Drink

For those travellers looking for a good pint, there are a few Irish pubs within the old town walls. The prices aren't exactly cheap, but there is a small of selection of decent Croatian beers. In terms of clubs, they are pretty non-existant within the old town, but the bars do stay open late. Afterwards you can stumble out of the city gates and into Latino Club Fuego for some rather cheesy music and moderately priced drinks.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

• Dubrovnik B&B
• Dubrovnik Apartments - Refurbished 600 year old stone house within the walls of the Old Town. A rare opportunity to spend your holiday in the very heart of this unique and beautiful medieval city. Two bedrooms, sleeps up to 4 people.

Upscale

The Pucic Palace is the fanciest place in town, appealing to millionaires and royalty.

Work

Learn

• Dubrovnik University

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

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