Dubrovnik, Croatia

Evergreen city guide with quick facts, travel, business, and culture.

CroatiaDubrovnik-Neretva

Overview

Dubrovnik is the 'Pearl of the Adriatic' — a magnificent walled medieval city on Croatia's southern Dalmatian coast, its honey-stone old town and complete circuit of city walls rising above the deep blue sea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Game of Thrones filming icon, it is one of the Mediterranean's most spectacular destinations.

Old Town & City Walls

The UNESCO walled old town, the two-kilometre walls walk, the Stradun, the monasteries, the Rector's Palace and Fort Lovrijenac.

Srđ, Lokrum & the Sea

The Mount Srđ cable car panorama, the island nature reserve of Lokrum, Banje and Lapad beaches, and kayaking around the walls.

Game of Thrones

King's Landing locations across the old town — the walls, Fort Lovrijenac and the 'Walk of Shame' stairs — and themed tours.

Day Trips & Coast

The Elaphiti Islands, Cavtat, the Pelješac wine peninsula and Ston, plus Montenegro's Kotor and Mostar in Bosnia.
Travel Overview

Dubrovnik, on the southern tip of Croatia's Dalmatian coast, is one of the most beautiful walled cities in the world — the 'Pearl of the Adriatic', a compact jewel of honey-coloured stone rising straight from the sparkling sea and wrapped in a complete circuit of medieval ramparts. Once the powerful, independent maritime Republic of Ragusa, its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of marbled streets, baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and red-tiled roofs, and walking the full loop of the city walls — high above the rooftops and the Adriatic — is one of the great experiences in European travel. The main thoroughfare, the polished limestone Stradun (Placa), runs through the heart of the old town between the Pile and Ploče gates, lined with cafés and shops and bookended by landmarks like Onofrio's Fountain, the Franciscan monastery with its ancient pharmacy, the bell tower and the Rector's Palace. Beyond the walls, a cable car climbs Mount Srđ for a breathtaking panorama over the old town and the islands; the wooded island of Lokrum, a short boat ride away, offers swimming, peacocks and a monastery; and the old harbour, the beaches at Banje and Lapad, and the Adriatic itself draw visitors to the water. Dubrovnik became a global phenomenon as the filming location for King's Landing in Game of Thrones, and fans flock to its instantly recognisable streets, stairs and walls. The flip side of its fame is the crowds: in peak summer, cruise ships and day-trippers can overwhelm the small old town, so the spring and autumn shoulder seasons (and early mornings and evenings) reward visitors with a calmer, more magical city. Dubrovnik is also a gateway to the wider region — the Elaphiti Islands, the resort of Cavtat, the Pelješac wine peninsula, and even Montenegro's Bay of Kotor and Mostar in Bosnia are within day-trip reach. The climate is classically Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild winters; May, June, September and October are the loveliest times to come.

Discover Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik's old town is the reason the world comes, and it is unforgettable: a dense, pedestrian-only warren of marble streets, steep stone stairways and small squares, hemmed in by some of the best-preserved medieval fortifications in Europe. The single essential experience is the walk around the city walls — a roughly two-kilometre circuit, up to 25 metres high, that loops the entire old town with constantly changing views down over the terracotta rooftops, the baroque churches and the deep blue Adriatic beyond, punctuated by round towers and the great seaward fortress of Minčeta. Down in the town, the Stradun (Placa), the gleaming limestone main street polished smooth by centuries of feet, runs between the Pile and Ploče gates, with the round Onofrio's Fountain, the Franciscan Monastery (home to one of the oldest working pharmacies in Europe), the Bell Tower, the Rector's Palace and the cathedral all close at hand. Fort Lovrijenac, perched on a rock outside the western wall, guards the city like a second Gibraltar. Touristy but genuinely magnificent, the old town rewards both the wall walk and slow wandering through its side lanes, ideally early or late when the cruise crowds thin.

Frequently asked questions

Walk the complete circuit of the medieval city walls — the single essential experience, with stunning views over the rooftops and sea — and wander the marble Stradun and the lanes of the UNESCO old town, taking in the monasteries, the Rector's Palace and Fort Lovrijenac. Ride the cable car up Mount Srđ for the panorama, take a boat to the island of Lokrum, and (for fans) follow a Game of Thrones tour of the King's Landing locations. Try to do the walls and old town early or late to avoid the midday crowds.

The shoulder seasons of May–June and September–October are ideal: warm, sunny weather, the sea still swimmable, and noticeably fewer crowds than the July–August peak, when cruise ships and day-trippers can overwhelm the small old town. If you do visit in high summer, walk the walls and explore the old town early in the morning or in the evening, when the day-trippers have gone. Winter is quiet and mild but many seasonal businesses close.

Yes — Dubrovnik's old town was the principal filming location for King's Landing in Game of Thrones. The city walls and Fort Lovrijenac featured as the Red Keep and the capital's defences, and the Jesuit Staircase by St Ignatius Church is the famous 'Walk of Shame' stairway, among many other recognisable spots. Themed walking tours trace the locations with behind-the-scenes stories. Even if you haven't seen the show, the tours are an enjoyable way to learn the old town's real history and geography.