Thru the Lens: Dubrovnik
With so many old town centres in Europe, it’s quite common to get traveller fatigue after you’ve been to so many of them. But at the same time, sometimes you visit one that makes you think “wow” even if you’re the most jaded traveller. Walking across the drawbridge of the main city gate of Dubrovnik was that “WOW!” moment for me. The city has been masterfully restored to a state where it almost doesn’t feel real. From the medieval walls encircling the old city to the gleaming white stone pavement, it’s as if you’ve entered some Hollywood set.
This Adriatic jewel is extremely popular with cruises and package tours. During the day, the old city is rammed with tourists from all over the world. At night, however, most people have retreated back to their cruise ships or hotels and the city is yours to explore. After having a couple of drinks, we wandered the old city’s smallest streets and alleys around midnight. It was delightfully absent of any large groups of tourists.
The trail leading up to the fortress offers the best views of the old city and the harbour. The views are so good that we decided to forgo the kn 90 city wall walk. With the money we saved, we bought fresh vegetables and seafood from the local market, located near the ferry terminal in the harbour. For only kn 20 we got 2 big blue fish which was more than enough to feed two people!
Practical Info Dubrovnik is well connected via bus to other cities in the region like Split, Mostar, Sarajevo and Kotor. Its airport (DBV) has connections to major cities all over Europe. Budget accommodation costs around 10 euros a night and is usually located outside of the old city, closer to the harbour and bus terminal.