Dubrovnik is one of those ‘must visit’ places to see in your lifetime.
Whether it’s for your love of Game of Thrones (Dubrovnik was the main filming location in Croatia for King’s Landing), for its food and wine or for its breathtaking coastline.
A Brief History of Dubrovnik
Ragusa was the Latin name for Dubrovnik and was named after a “rocky island” called Lausa. A group of refugees from Epidaurus, which is now known as Cavtat, founded Ragusa in the 7th century.
The Slavs were destroying the city while fighting with the Avars, causing the refugees to flee. The Byzantine Empire initially protected the refugees, but the Venetian rule later took over.
Over the centuries, Ragusa (Dubrovnik) grew into a prosperous trading port. Its architecture reflects its various cultural influences including Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.
One of the city’s most famous landmarks is its ancient city walls which surround the old town and offer stunning views of the Adriatic Sea. The walls were constructed in the 14th century and are considered one of the best-preserved fortification systems in Europe.
In 1667, Ragusa suffered a catastrophic earthquake where half of the city’s population persished and almost every structure collapsed, except it’s ancient walls. This affluent and powerful place, filled with the wealth of her prosperous sea faring trade, was now in decline.
In 1806, Dubrovnik surrendered to Napoleon’s forces with the understanding that they simply needed free passage and weren’t interested in occupation. Sadly this was not the case. The French filled Dubrovnik’s streets with soldiers after blockading the harbour.
The French ruled the city for only seven years. It was ‘liberated’ by the British and Austrian troops in 1814 only to became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1815, after the Congress of Vienna.
In 1918, after World War I and the fall of the Austria–Hungary Empire, Dubrovnik joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croatians and Slovenes which, in 1929 became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
THE BEGINNING OF TOURISM
Lord Byron, the British Romantic Poet, was said to have called Dubrovnik ‘the Pearl of the Adriatic’. Later, prominent authors like Bernard Shaw and Agatha Christie were dazzled by the city’s perfectly preserved baroque architecture.
After 1945, millions of people visited Dubrovnik, causing it to grow in popularity. Eventually, UNESCO declared the whole of the medieval old town and its surrounding walls a World Heritage Site in 1979.
The development of tourism and the income allowed for significant developments like the airport.
THE WAR OF INDEPENDANCE
You might mistakenly think that all the buildings in the old town are actually ancient! In fact, the Serb controlled Yugoslav People’s Army destroyed over two-thirds of the city’s buildings in the early 1990’s.
The majority of Croats wanted independence from Yugoslavia while most of the Serbs wanted a new state within Yugoslavia and therefore attempted to conquer as much as Croatia as possible.
Following Croatia’s declaration of independence in June 1991, the Serbian-Yugoslav armed forces launched a full-scale war against Croatia under the pretext of protecting the Serbian minority in Croatia.
By the end of 1991, more than one-third of Croatia’s territory was seized. The city of Vukovar and others had been totally destroyed and thousands of Croats had been killed.
In August 1995, the Croatian army stormed areas in Croatia under Serb control prompting thousands to flee regaining most of their territory.
The cobbled streets, churches, fountains and the medieval city walls were badly damaged by artillery and fires and was later rebuilt with limestone streets scattered with restaurants, bars and shops.
TAKE A WALKING TOUR
One of the best ways to experience the old town is by taking a Dubrovnik Walking Tour.
You don’t have to do a tour and you can nip into all of the nooks and crannies of the old town at your own pace, but the local guides are really knowledgeable, and some will share their experiences of the war.
Take a walking tour around the city walls that circle around the old town giving you a birds eye view. Again, you will learn more about the history with a tour or explore by yourselves.
GAME OF THRONES WALKING TOUR
Many of you will visit Dubrovnik because of Game of Thrones. We are sorry to say……we have NEVER seen it!!
But if you are a fan, then a Game of Thrones walking tour is the best way to find out about the history of the city and filming locations such as The Kings Landing, The Red Keep (Fort Lovrijenac) and Cersei’s Walk of Shame.
BOAT TOURS AND EXPERIENCES
There are so many Boat Tours you can take from Dubrovnik. From a blue cave adventure to a sunset cocktail cruise.
There are also private boat tours if you would just like a boat exclusively for you and your family where a skipper will take you out on a speedboat, sailing yacht or catamaran to see the walled city from a totally different view!
DUBROVNIK CABLE CAR
With breathtaking views of the old city and the crystal blue Adriatic, the Dubrovnik Cable Car is the perfect way to experience the most beautiful panoramic views. It was built back in 1969 and has welcomed millions of visitors over the years.
At the top, Napoleon built The Imperial Fort known as Siege of Ragusa. There you will also find the Panorama Bar and Restaurant where you can try the Mediterranean food and wine and maybe a cocktail!
An adult round-trip ticket on the cable car is €27 and is €7 for children between 4-12.
DUBROVNIK FOOD AND DRINK
With its fresh local produce and contemporary cuisine, Dubrovnik is a great place to be if you’re a foodie!
Because of its wonderful location, fish and seafood dominate the area, followed by hearty pastas and pizzas, and, of course, amazing ice creams!
Local specialities include Black Risotto (Crnirižot) made with squid ink, mussels in tomato sauce (Bouzzara) and Rozata which is similar to a crème caramel!
As for the wine, Dingač is the most sought-after red wine in Croatia. Along with Plavac Mali and Postup, these full-bodied, aromatic Dalmatian reds are the ones to try.
If you prefer a white, Pošip, Grk and Malvasija Dubrovačka give you the taste of citrus, flowers and mediterranean herbs.
SUMMARY
Dubrovnik is a place you can visit at any time of the year although the summer months are extremely busy.
If you’re not too happy about being trampled by tourists, we would suggest either May or September. The weather is still sunny and warm and there will be less crowds to fight amongst.
Take a boat trip over to Cavtat. It’s a beautiful town with some lovely bars and restaurants.
If you have time, try and visit Kupari. This is a resort between Dubrovnik and Cavtat and is famous for its abandoned hotels. See our blog on Kupari to find out more.
From hiking and biking, climbing and kayaking, culture, architecture, island hopping or food and wine tasting, there’s definitely a little bit of something here for everyone.
