We started our stay in Dubrovnik, which is in Southern Croatia right on the Adriatic Coast. Because of it's proximity to Italy, there are a lot of Italian influences throughout Croatia, especially with their food. We've definitely enjoyed our fair share of pasta, pizza and fresh shellfish. We've spent some time traveling and doing a few tours, but because we have a full week in Dubrovnik we've also had plenty of down time that has let us truly enjoy the calm atmosphere and laid back lifestyle of Dubrovnik.
Although I love the cheap prices and socialization available at hostels, it was time for our own place where we could spread out and have a little privacy. We booked a one bedroom apartment through Airbnb which was cheaper than a hotel, provided us with our own kitchen, and had a spectacular view of Old Town, Dubrovnik.
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| View from our AirBnb apartment overlooking The Adriatic and Old Town |
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| View from our bedroom window |
Our days have consisted of wandering the streets of Old Town, drinking coffee while people watching, and eating some of the best sea food and pasta we can find.
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| Our porch view along with the cable car that goes to the top of Dubrovnik |
Today the city is surrounded by defensive walls, which were originally built and modified throughout the 12th-17th centuries. These walls were built to keep intruders out, whether they came from land or sea. Because there is no longer a threat of attack, the walls are now open for tourist to walk on, providing a spectacular view of Old Town.
It costs 100 Kuna ($15 USD) to walk the 2 kilometers along the walls.
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| Overlooking the south end of Old Town and Lokrum island |
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| Minceta Tower in the northwest corner of the walls |
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| View of Old Harbor from the walls |
Another great activity to do in Dubrovnik is take the cable car (or hike) to the top of Srd Hill, which overlooks Dubrovnik. We rode the cable car up, but decided to hike down while the sun was setting.
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| Dubrovnik from above, with Lokrum island off the coast. |
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| Sunset over a few of Croatia's hundreds of islands |
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| One of our favorite restaurants where we've camped out all week, overlooking Old Harbor |
Minus our day trips outside the country, our time in Dubrovnik has been very low key and relaxed. Restaurants offer blankets and heat lamps as the sun sets, and you're welcome to sit all day long, just sipping on drinks and slowly trying all the foods on the menu.
Logistical Info
Dubrovnik is split between Old Town and New Town, with Old Town being much more popular. This is a UNESCO site, where more hotels are located and where most tours depart from. New Town holds the new port, which is where cruise ships dock. It is also where the main bus terminal is where you can find buses to other cities throughout Croatia and The Balkans. About half of the buses in Dubrovnik head towards New Town, just check the schedule at Pile, the main bus stop in Old Town.
Dubrovnik Airport (Cilipi) is about 22 kilometers from the center of Dubrovnik. Whenever flights are scheduled to land they have a shuttle waiting at the airport to take people into the center of town. Tickets can be purchased just outside of baggage claim for around $6 USD. The ride takes about 25 minutes to Pile (pronounced 'Peel-ey') which is the main bus station for Old Town. It then continues onto New Town.
The Cable Car ride to the top of Srd Hill costs 60 kuna ($9 USD) and 108 kuna ($16 USD) for a single and roundtrip ticket, respectively. The cable car and top of the mountain can be seen from most parts of the town and therefore is easy to find, just follow the cables to their station. Tickets can be bought either at the station or at tourism information shops throughout the city.
If you've rented a car there is also an option to drive up the hill for free, which saves you a hike or the cost of the ticket.
We opted to walk down the path for our way down, which started out well, but we didn't realized how long it would take. For starters, the path itself isn't a smooth walk. It was filled in with rocks that were hard to walk on and kind of awkward and large, I would definitely advise hiking boots or at least tennis shoes for this walk down. We also started our walk during the sunset, so after an hour of walking we were in the woods with just moonlight. I'm still glad we did it, but I just wish we would've been a little more prepared with the right shoes and perhaps a flashlight.
I needed more cash than expected for Dubrovnik. Many tourism shops had a minimum on cards, the post office only accepted cash, walking the walls was cash only and buying a bus ticket to either the other side of town or all the way to Split required cash, no plastic accepted. ATMs and exchange offices are scattered throughout the city so it's never too hard to find money, but I suggest carrying at least $50 USD at all times, just in case.
Our accommodations with Airbnb can be found here. Our host was very accommodating and lived just upstairs so we were able to communicate with him throughout the week. Our listing is just a one room studio apartment which fits one or two people max, but it includes a kitchenette, a private bathroom, shower and washing machine. He also supplied towels, a hair dryer and basic kitchen supplies. Despite the small room, the view from the porch was amazing and very much worth it. In general old town Dubrovnik doesn't seem like a rowdy place at night, but either way our location was extremely quiet throughout the day and night.
New to Airbnb? Sign up here and get $20 off your first stay!
A one way bus ticket to Split was 125 kuna ($19 USD) and we bought ours a day in advance from the central bus station, which is located near the New Port (about 15 minutes on bus from Old Town.) I found our bus ticket online, but after speaking with locals they advised actually going to the bus station itself to purchase the ticket in person.
Dubrovnik itself is a small area and can easily be explored within two or three days. However, it's relatively cheap ($2-3 for coffee, $10-15 for a nice meal) and is a good place to settle down if you need a break from being on the road. There are also numerous day trip options and adventure trips to take out of Dubrovnik such as trips to surrounding countries, ferry rides to the islands, bike trips and kayaking trips around the Adriatic.
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