There’s nothing new to say about the most glorified old city in Croatia (perhaps even in all of Europe!). Absolutely stunning and breathtaking, but expensive and crowded. Our day spent in Dubrovnik was on a rainy Monday in June and it was still too crowded for our liking. We probably would have hated it in the high season of July or August.
In order to avoid paying €40/night in Dubrovnik’s only campground, we stayed 10 km away in Mlini at Camping Kate for €18/night. There were taxi boats to and from Mlini to Dubrovnik, but with the price of 50 HRK ($7.50) per ride, we took the bus for 18 HRK ($2.70) each instead. Good thing we took the bus, because we were dropped off not too far from the trailhead leading up to Mount Srd.
Cable car rides up to Mount Srd cost 70 HRK ($10.70) one-way or 120 HRK ($18) roundtrip. Walking up the switchbacks is FREE! It took us about 40 minutes from the beginning of the trailhead to the summit. The views of Dubrovnik, its neighboring islands, and the Adriatic coast were beautiful even on a dreary day.
Hardly anyone hiked the trail, so we experienced a slight shock once we arrived to the tourist-filled city walls. I’m glad Chris talked me out of walking the city walls because it would have cost 120 HRK each ($18) just to walk them. No other city wall we’ve walked on had charged a fee, not even in Saint Malo or Carcassonne, which were incredible and tranquil. I figured that a picture of Dubrovnik’s city walls from afar would be more magnificent than a picture from the walls anyway.
Sure enough, the view of Dubrovnik from the entrance of Fort Lovrijenac was my favorite view of the old city. While entrance to the fort came with a fee, the pretty walk to the fort did not.
Although we did not walk on the city walls, we walked throughout the old city…because fortunately that was free! Dubrovnik’s old city was made up of the usual: monasteries, churches, squares, cobblestone streets, fountains, and of course too many overpriced ice cream shops and cafes.
Just a short walk south of the city walls was Banje Beach. The chilly weather meant a pleasantly quiet beach, but I hear the summers tend to get crowded.
For a spectacular old city, Dubrovnik surprisingly doesn’t have any noteworthy monuments or sites, which makes simply walking around the most enjoyable activity. Sure, there are boat excursions to nearby islands but the highlight of Dubrovnik is marveling at the city walls up close and afar. No matter how crowded and obnoxious the experience can be, no trip to Croatia is complete without a visit to Dubrovnik.