Dumbfounded by Dubrovnik

Our travels in Croatia have taken us from Zagreb, around Istria, and South to the seaside town of Split. This weekend we find ourselves in what might be considered Split’s neighbor, Dubrovnik. On this adventure, we’ve visited many walled towns on hills with red tile roofs and seaside towns with fortresses and promenades. None of them have been anything like the combination of the two that is Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik is very real, with imposing stone walls surrounding the entire old city. We’re sitting in an old stone building inside the walls in a room that has been remodeled into a studio apartment. It is very moden while at the same time being very old. Dubrovnik is also very unreal. It is the fantasy setting for many locations in Game of Thrones, and the related tours and tourist shops are unfortunately everywhere. But it is the real/unreal that make it a perfect fantasy setting. It is believable because it is real. It exists, and we’re in it.

Not a lot of stories to tell from our time here so far, just some pictures to share of this crazy place where the food is overpriced but also very good, cruise ship tour groups dominate the streets, but it is still enjoyable despite the throngs hoping to get a glimpse of dragons that aren’t here.

Here’s what they consider a street in most of the town. These staired passages actually have street names, signs, and addresses. Our apartment is on one of these streets.

One of the reasons that we like Dubrovnik so much (we do, if I haven’t mentioned it) is that it is a town of cats. They are everywhere, have their own territories, and are well cared for by the locals. One tourist shop was even selling a “Cats of Dubrovnik” photo calendar. Here’s one chilling outside our apartment.

So far, our favorite spot is the Old Port and breakwater at the Fort of St. John. It is hard not to just sit on the breakwater, enjoy the sun, and take in the amazing scene around us.

The pathway to the fort is the Old Port. It has the typical tourist trappings of hawkers trying to sell boat tours and throngs of tourists, but it also has charming old wooden ferries taking passengers to nearby islands and a smattering of local fishing boats. The port also has amazing views of the city and walls above and contains one of only three gates you can use to enter the city.

The highlight of any visit to Dubrovnik is touring the fortress walls. You can actually walk the entire perimeter of the city on the walls in an hour or so. The start of the wall tour gives you a great view of the Stradun, the main street that runs through the middle of Dubrovnik. This picture was taken in the afternoon after many of the tour groups had already left.

The view looking across toward the water and not down at the tourists is much more pleasing. You can see St. John’s Fort in the upper left-hand corner to get a feel for the view from the port and breakwater. The Stradun bisects the city in the middle.

And of course, while the city is amazing in itself with the red roofs and stone buildings, it is the walls that are the most dramatic feature and make Dubrovnik unique.

There’s not much to do here but enjoy the views, sit in cafes and watch the tourists, and seek out the recommended restaurants that aren’t just traps for the cruise ship passengers. We’ll catch a boat ride in the next day or so, but for now, we’re just taking in the city.

After Dubrovnik, we catch a ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari, Italy, where we’ll then make our way to Naples via train. Lots more of Slovenia and Croatia to share and little time–we hope to catch up. Dubrovnik is unique and special, and deserves more than just Game of Thrones fame. Just had to get a few pictures posted before we move on.