Photo Tour: In, Above, and Around Dubrovnik

I'll admit it. My fascination with Dubrovnik, Croatia probably started around the time that I learned that part of the HBO show, Game of Thrones, is filmed in the old city. Nerdy, and kind of weird, I know. So when we arrived in Dubrovnik, I was kind of surprised to see thousands of people in modern clothing swarming around the city walls. I shouldn't have been, of course. Dubrovnik has entered the 21st century along with the rest of the world. Even the travel industry hasn't perfected time travel yet-- particularly not time-travel to a fictional universe. (One day, I hope, one day.)

Anyway. Modern Dubrovnik is as lovely as I'd imagined. The old city is surrounded by beautiful, well-preserved city walls, and all of the streets are made of slippery, polished marble. Within the old city, the streets are narrow alleyways and wide boulevards opening up into pleasant plazas complete with fountains and churches. From some points in the city, you can catch a glimpse--or more--of the Adriatic Sea.

Large plaza in the old city

A small street lined with restaurants

View of Stradun, the main boulevard

Getting a drink at a bar overlooking the sea.

At night, there are a bunch of musicians playing. The acoustics are awesome.

The city is perhaps even more beautiful from above. We spent one long afternoon wandering around the city's famous walls, which gave us a great perspective of how the city is laid out (plus, amazing views of the sea). One night, we walked up to an old fortress at the top of the hill and saw one of the most beautiful sunsets of our lives.

Climbing the wall, half-eaten ice cream cone in hand

View of the old city from the walls

The old city walls

A quick shot of the trees lining the trail up to the top of the hill

Trail to the top

Sunset over Dubrovnik

So excited for dusk!

Islands near Dubrovnik

Old city at sunset

Memorial for the Siege of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik at night

Old city, lit up at night

But all of Dubrovnik's charms aren't contained within and above the old city. We stayed in a neighborhood called Lapad, which is covered with neighborhood restaurants, ice cream joints and gorgeous beaches. We found ourselves settling into a really nice rhythm: beach time by day, old city by night. We also took a day trip to Lokrum Island, which is a quick ferry ride away from the old city.

Copacabana beach

Braving the cold water

A peacock on Lokrum island

Lokrum Island

Lunch on the rocks

Traveling to Dubrovnik? 

• Don't limit yourself to the old city-- even when it comes to accommodations. The public buses run very frequently, and they're fairly inexpensive. We stayed at the Begovic Boarding House and had our own little studio apartment for much, much cheaper than the prices we saw in town. When the weather is nice, walking between neighborhoods is easy and scenic. 

• Spend one afternoon walking up the coast in Lapad to the Copacabana beach. It's a bit far from town, and when we were there, it was a pretty quiet spot, with plenty of soft sand and beach chairs to go around. There's a beach bar and restaurant if you get hungry.

• There's a cable car that runs to the top of a small hill on the backside of Dubrovnik. However, if you're up for a short walk (1 1/2 hours or so), you can walk up the hill on your own on a well-marked path. It's a nice walk, with great views of the city. If you're going up for sunet, don't forget to take a headlamp or flashlight with you-- it'll be dark on the way down. (I say this because we, of course, forgot our headlamps. Luckily we had a smarter friend with us!) Go up well-before sunset if you want to spend any time in the 'Homeland War Museum' at the top of the hill. It gives a good overview of the war which hit Dubrovnik in the 1990s. 

• Pack your own lunch -- and drinks-- if you're heading over to Lokrum Island. We spent $4 for a small Coke and we're still complaining about it.

• If you're going during the peak season, try to get to some of the main sites either first thing in the morning, or in the early evening. The city is swarmed with tour groups during mid-day, and some of Dubrovnik's charms get lost in the crowd.

-R

PS- And no, I didn't see Cersei or Tyrion hanging around. Drat.