Dubrovnik, Croatia: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Dubrovnik is a popular Croatian city and also one of the most preferred tourist destinations of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s also on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites (Old Town). It has a population less than 50,000. The city usually records a large amount of tourists, numbering in their millions and usually during summer time. The entire town covers an area that’s about 6 kilometers beginning from the Rijeka Dubrovacka River in the west all the way to the Sveti Jakov peninsula in the east.

There are many beautiful neighborhoods in the town, each with its specific features. Also, just like all the cities by the Adriatic Sea, this city has more than a few stunning beaches where you can easily find a large number of locals and tourists alike enjoying themselves. Dubrovnik is a great city to visit to spend quality time with friends and family, or just to experience a new place on your own. If you’re going to take a trip to this magnificent place, there are quite a few things you need to keep in mind beforehand to help you have the best holiday you possibly can.

Because Dubrovnik welcomes millions of visitors regularly, the city is largely prepared for such large numbers of people as it has quite a few really beautiful hotels where you can stay. The Hotel Dubrovnik Palace is one great example. It’s a 5-star hotel located on the Lapad Peninsula. Every direction of the hotel offers a pretty and spectacular view as it sits magnificently on a cliff. With over 300 rooms and suites, each with its own balcony, you’ll find that you’re easily tempted to spend an entire day sitting at the balcony with a few drinks, just taking in the sights. Enjoy the hotel’s amazing facilities including a private beach, three outdoor swimming pools and one indoors, snorkeling services, and even tennis courts.

Another great option located in Gruz Harbor is the Berkeley Hotel & Day Spa. This 3-star hotel, which is a lot cheaper than the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, is a very cozy option for travelers who are on a budget. It has about 24 rooms that could get overbooked very quickly, so it would be great to book this space as quickly as you can. The hotel has a great location as it’s only a short distance to many supermarkets, restaurants, and major bus and ferry terminals. It is also only about two and half kilometers away from the city’s Old Town. Owned and run by a family, it has all the basic features pretty much any reasonable hotel should have. It also has a great spa within the premises that provides body, facial and nail treatments – including great massages also.

The Hotel Adriatic is one more option for travelers who are on a pretty strict budget. For a really great price, you get to stay in an attractive and striking location just by the Lapad Bay. The hotel has quite a few rooms that give a stunning view of the sea and guests not only enjoy this view but also get to savor a great complimentary buffet breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, also with a view of the sea.

Lastly, if you still do not want a hotel, there are many different Airbnb apartments where you can stay.

The City Walls

One of the most popular things to do in this seaside city is to take a tour of the city’s walls. A walk through these walls could take about an hour, but it’s an amazing experience. These walls may have been reinforced some time ago, but originally, they date as far back as the 600s. Today, they are part of the UNESCO listings and have also been featured a few times on HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Ride in a Cable Car

As noted earlier, some specific locations and a few hotels offer you a fantastic view of the city in all its glory. However, there’s really nothing that can give you a view as amazing as the view from riding a cable car to Mount Srd, which gives a sight over 400 meters above Dubrovnik. All of the towers and the old city walls can be seen properly from here. Doing it at night is also highly recommended.

See the Dubrovnik Cathedral

Also known as The Assumption Cathedral, it is a Catholic cathedral, which is also the base of Dubrovnik’s Diocese. The Cathedral is very popular for its treasure, which holds hundreds of valuable sacramental items that date as far back as the 1000s. More specifically, the items are said to have been made or acquired in the period between the 1000s and the 1700s.

Do Some Kayaking and a Little Sailing

All kinds of water-based activities are quite popular in Dubrovnik. If you don’t want to swim, there are few services that let you rent a boat for a period that you can take out into the sea for a considerable distance. If you’re not specifically interested in sailing, feel free to take a kayak and enjoy both the water and the sea.

Dubrovnik boasts of quite a few restaurants with delicious meals. Here are a few:

Above 5 Rooftop Restaurant

This restaurant gives a fantastic view of the city while you eat as its sits atop the only rooftop terrace in Old Town. While eating here, you can see the sea, the beautiful people, the city walls, and even some of the islands around Dubrovnik. Enjoy fantastic meals here.

Piknik

Piknik is an amazing restaurant that prides themselves in being able to organize for you an amazing private picnic. The place offers everything from traditional meats and cheese to homemade cakes with some native wine. The presentation of the food is also specifically done to resemble a proper picnic.

Pantarul

This is another place that’s extremely popular among locals for its home-cooked and native foods that give people a bit of nostalgia. Some of these foods are no longer available in most other restaurants, which make Pantarul loved.

Generally, the best time to visit Dubrovnik is sometime between September and October. This is because the temperatures are great and the weather is usually pretty nice at this period. The only downside to this is that most people realize this, too, and want to visit at this same time. This sometimes results in a price surge around the city.

From the beautiful City Walls to all the aquatic splendor, it should be safe to assume that not much else is needed to convince anyone to visit this city. You will definitely have fun while learning about the great history and culture of the amazing city Dubrovnik. Plan a Croatian trip and go there a soon as you can.