A plan for Dubrovnik

The city of Dubrovnik (Latin: Ragusa) was built on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages it became the only city-state in the Adriatic to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development during the 15th and 16th centuries. Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the centres of the development of the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists and other scholars.

Today Dubrovnik is the proudest feather in Croatia's tourist cap, an elite destination, and one of the most beautiful towns in the Mediterranean, much more expensive and tourism-centered than other places in Croatia. It has managed to survive many centuries, with constant threats to its territory, particularly from the mighty Ottoman Empire and Venice. As early as the 19th century, it was discovered by celebrities as a place to be seen. George Bernard Shaw once said that "those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik and find it". Royalty, presidents and diplomats have all favoured the city. The late Pope John Paul II was a fan of Dubrovnik and was even made an honorary citizen. Of the 23 top luxury hotels in Croatia in 2010, 13 were in Dubrovnik. The city became famous to a new audience in the 2010s as one of the sets of the Game of Thrones television series.

Dubrovnik was heavily bombed in late 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence (part of a series of wars in the region). Almost all of the damage has been repaired; however, if you look closely around the old town, mortar damage in the cobblestone streets and shrapnel marks in the stone houses are visible.

The Dubrovnik Pass (Summer: €40 one day, €50 three days, €60 seven days/ Winter: €15 one day, €25 three days, €35 seven days) is worth considering, as it is only €5 more than the entry to the City Walls, and includes most of the museums in the Old Town, in addition to unlimited bus rides within the town for the duration of the pass. Entry to the Old Town is free, a pass is only required to walk the walls.

Old Town

The Placa Stradun is the central east-west street, where the old city comes to life. The uniform Baroque architecture of the houses in Placa, with shops on the street level and their 'knee-like' entrances, got its present-day form in the restoration of the City taking place after the disastrous earthquake in 1667, when a large number of luxurious Gothic and Renaissance palaces had been destroyed. The architectural design of Placa reveals effective solutions and the business sense of the Dubrovnik Republic in those difficult times. Today, Placa is still the shopping centre and venue of major events. Explore streets and alleys on its sides, or stroll up and down the thoroughfare with an ice-cream in hand.

1 Pile Gate (Vrata od Pila), at the western end of the Placa Stradun (Old town). A convenient starting place for a stroll through the Old Town.

2 Big Onofrio's Fountain. In the western (Pile) entrance of the old town, The fountain stairs are nowadays a favourite meeting place for local youth and where both the tourists and pigeons take rest and refresh themselves with cool water.

3 Roland's Column (in front of the Bell Tower). A slender stone flag staff of the legendary knight. Also known as Orlando's Column. Ever since its foundation in 1950, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival is opened by raising a flag carrying the city's motto Libertus on Orlando's staff.

4 Bell Tower (after the Ploče entrance to the city). On top of the tower are the famous 'Zelenci' (The Green Ones), bronze statues which strike the gigantic bell every hour. They have been replaced with copies and the originals are in the atrium of the Sponza Palace.

5 Sponza Palace (West of the Bell Tower). Daily 10:00-22:00. Gothic Renaissance palace, one of the few buildings that has maintained its form from before the catastrophic 1667 earthquake. Hosts historic archives. Memorial room of defenders. €5.

Cliff Jumping @ Cafe Buža. See listing for Cafe Buža in the Drinks section.

Lazareti, Frana Supila 8 (Ploce, just outside of the east entrance to the Old town), ☏ +385 20 324 633, arl@du.htnet.hr. Old quarantine hospital serves as a cultural centre for concerts, exhibitions, workshops, theater, film, night clubs and literature. The concert hall/bar is a very cozy place with a decent sound system. Gallery Galeriya Tutunplok is open daily 12:00-21:00. Films and theater showings range from €2.70-5.40 Concerts cost €5.40-13. A nightclub is open here from 10:00-16:00 and will cost you about €4. Gathers a mostly alternative crowd.

1 imad hotel, Za Karmenom 1. for free. Swim in the Adriatic Sea below the old wall. In the harbour of the old town, go all around (right) along the wall, beyond the aquarium and there is a pier and some rocks where you can cool down on a hot summer day. Avoid stepping on sea urchins, which are commonly found on rocks in the sea water around Dubrovnik, especially if you are wearing no shoes. These are mostly found in clear water and are easy to spot.

Sailing and boat trips

Dubrovnik is an excellent starting point for exploring southern Adriatic coast primarily Elaphite islands, Korčula, Pelješac and Mljet. There are many charter agencies where you can charter a sailing or motor yacht which are based in Dubrovnik. Majority of them operate from ACI marina Dubrovnik (42°40,3’ N 18°07,6’ E) which is based in Komolac about 2 nautical miles away from the entrance to the port Gruz, and 6 km away from the old town. It is open throughout the whole year.

Dubrovnik is characterized by Mediterranean climate and generally light NW winds, making a yacht charter holiday very popular with couples with younger children and less experienced skippers and crews. A strong north wind known as the Bora is more usual during autumn and winter.

When you charter a yacht through charter agency and arrive to designated marina there are a few things that need to be done. The most important thing is the yacht check-in (usually Saturday around 16:00). Take your time doing yacht check in. Familiarise yourself with the chartered yacht and with the yacht equipment.

There is a wide range of restaurants in the Old Town. Most offer a very similar menu of local seafood and some meat dishes, although there is more variety than in other coastal Croatian towns. The cuisine may not be very imaginative, but it is usually of good quality and very fresh.

Restaurants can be crudely separated into (slightly) cheaper tourist-trap places, and more expensive but first class gastronomic restaurants. There are a few pizzerias, mostly wood-fired and quite acceptable. The Kraš chocolate sold at stores is delicious. Dubrovnik, more so than the rest of Croatia, is well aware of its status as a tourist hot-spot. Rents for restaurant premises are high and consequently the prices on the menus reflect this.

Note that in the off peak season of November–March nearly all the top-end restaurants close, leaving only a handful of desperate tourist trap enterprises operating and still charging high prices. You can however still eat well and discounts can be negotiated.

Dubrovnik cuisine is characteristically not very spicy and is famous for traditionalism. Many popular meals are characteristic of Dubrovnik such as zelena menestra (it is the name for many sorts of cabbages and other vegetables with meat), the meat dish pašticada and the famous caramel-based dessert dubrovačka rozata.

Since Dubrovnik restaurants are quite popular, many mid-range and high-end establishments provide the option of online reservation. English-language menus are found everywhere.

Budget

In the Old Town

1 Buffet Škola, Antuninska ul. 1. Quaint, quick dinner! Delicious prosciutto, cheese, and salad. Excellent sandwiches. Freshly produced and the bread is a reminiscent of focaccia. (updated May 2022)

2 Barba, Boškovićeva ul. 5. Great sea street food, big portions, nice and friendly staff. Even it is full inside, you can order for take away, sit on the steps in front of the restaurant and eat, while looking at the streets of Kings Landing. (updated May 2022)

The most popular spirit in Croatia is home made rakija. This is a very strong distilled drink made from a variety of fruits. Examples include šljivovica, made from plums, loza, made from grapes, and orahovica, made with walnuts. All are quite strong.

There are many excellent local wines from both the Pelješac Peninsula and Konavle and it is often less expensive than soft drinks like Coca Cola. However, be careful when purchasing wine from unlicensed dealers. Though the price is very attractive, with some being as low as €1.50 per litre, it can sometimes be of low quality. Croatian beer is also good and popular, though none is made in the Dubrovnik region.

Cafes

There are numerous cafes throughout the Old Town and the entire city with prices varying according to the location (particularly, those located on the Stradun are by far the most expensive but you are paying for the ambiance and people-watching as well). Most cafes serve a wide variety of drinks all day.

Bars

Walk towards the sea from Stradun near the Ploce gate, and you'll hit a tiny square with outdoor seating by 4 or 5 different pubs, with live music playing, and large cocktail pitchers with very low alcohol content.

Cafe Buža, Iza Mura (Follow a sign that says ‘cold drinks’ and enter through a hole in the wall on the south side of the Old Town. Just wander up the stairs (on the right side of Stradun coming from Pile gate), until you hit the city walls, and then walk all the way down.). The tables and chairs are set out on the side of the cliff and the beers are served in bottles and plastic cups. You can sunbathe on the rocks or do some cliff-diving but do watch for rocks below. This is lovely in the evening, when the sun is setting and you gaze over at island of Lokrum. Eclectic chilled out music plays unobtrusively in the background. There isn’t much in the way of shelter apart from some palm leaves so Buža won’t open in bad weather. Higher price range. (updated Feb 2018)

Casablanca (On one of the streets to the left of Stradun walking from the Pile gate). Look for flashing red and blue lights. This is an interesting, slightly bizarre bar with seating outside on the city stairs, techno music, and may have erotic dancing.

The Old Town is completely pedestrianized. It consists of a main street that runs East-West. North and South of that street, it is usually impossible to avoid stairs. There are signs at the entrances to many of these streets advertising what businesses, shops, restaurants and accommodation are to be found in that direction.

Some of these signs appear to be either intentionally misleading or woefully out of date. For example, there is no office of any bus company within the Old Town, despite what the signs may say.

Visitors are asked to carry wheeled suitcases rather than rolling them in the Old Town to reduce noise pollution for residents.

By sea taxi

The sea taxis (like a motorboat) operate from the bay area, and go to the castle, they accommodate about 3-4 people and are a generally good option. Not expensive, but not cheap either. Still, it's a worthwhile choice for families.

By bus

If you are not staying in Old Town, it's relatively simple to get there by bus, as just about every one leads to the Old Town. However, it might be advisable to get a timetable [1] from the operator Libertas just in case. Schedules are available at the information counter of the Main Bus Station. It costs €1.73 (valid for one hour, unlimited rides) for tickets bought at any kiosk, or €2.50 (valid for one ride) bought on the bus, cards accepted (Sep 2025). At selected kiosks (including the international bus station) you can purchase a day pass for €5.31 (Sep 2025). This pass is valid for 24 hr of unlimited travel on the city bus network, starting from the first validation. Other ticket options can be found here. The Dubrovnik Pass also includes city bus travel. If you want to venture further out of the city, be aware of the limits of these tickets. Basically you can use them to get to all stations that you can find on the official city bus network map, which is displayed at every station or online, but no further.

Dubrovnik is a very safe city, though the usual precautions should be taken to protect yourself from pick-pocketing.

The streets in the old town can be quite slippery as they've been smoothed down for centuries by people walking over them. At night, avoid the smaller old town streets and stick to the more modern ones with street-lighting (Victorian gaslamps on brackets).

Since the summer of 2023, using suitcases with wheels in the old city can lead to a fine of at least €250.