How to Experience Your Own Dubrovnik Journey of Discovery

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A trip from Split to explore the ancient City of Dubrovnik is truly a lifetime experience. Old Town Dubrovnik, no doubt, has the Game of Thrones allure, but so much more--dramatic views of the Adriatic, fortresses, and massive imposing walls.

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Croatia is located on the Adriatic Sea at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe.  This Blog is part of a travel series covering the Road Hackers' two month visit to the Dalmatian coastal region in 2022.

Our Road trip Between Split and Dubrovnik
Heading down to Dubrovnik gave us the chance to see more of rural Croatia. Once again, we spent some time researching excursion options that would give us the best bang for our buck. Our timing wasn't ideal, because many of the bigger providers weren't offering service until June. 

We finally settled on a Dubrovnik excursion offered by South Tours. Their online reviews were excellent and their itinerary was just what we were hoping for--a good mix of guidance and free time. The price was very economical at $71 each.

Our group was asked to meet at the South Tours office in Split Old Town. From there, we headed to our transit vans and met our driver and guide, Harry. After a quick orientation, seven of us piled into the van and we set off to Dubrovnik.

The 138 miles/230 km drive would take four hours between Split and Dubrovnik. Our route would first take us inland as we linked up with the A1 highway that connects Zagreb-to Split-to-Dubrovnik. The roadways were world class all the way, and Croatians drive on the right-hand side of the road. 

For the first hour or so, we headed inland and got to see a lot of the smaller villages and some beautiful farming areas. Croatia's major crops are olives, corn, wheat, oats, rye, sun flowers, and grapes.

Croatians are especially proud of their wines and olives. Ironically, Croatia is now ranked as the 15th largest per capita consumer of beer, which is a big change from 30 years ago.

About 92% of Croatia is still considered rural, with about half the population living in rural areas. Global assessments of Croatian agriculture indicate that Croatia actually under-performs its potential in this sector. This bodes well for the future of Croatia.

Agricultural production revenues currently represent only about 4% of GDP. With better consolidation and organization, small family Croatian farms have a lot of potential for economies of scale. Croatia still imports more agriculture than it exports.

Along our route, we saw some expansive vineyards as we got closer to the coast again. Regions of Croatia have been producing wine for thousands of years now. Croatia mostly produces white wine, but they are also known for producing quality red wines.

According to 2014 data, Croatia is ranked as 32nd in the world in wine production. The mediterranean climate of Dalmatia is ideal for growing grapes--hot and humid summers combined with mild winters.

Most of the red wine is produced on the Dalmatian coast. Croatians are known for enjoying wine with their meals, often diluting their wine with water or sparkling water. 

One of the oddities of the trip involved a brief crossing through Bosnia & Herzegovina, which meant leaving Croatia and presenting our passports at the border crossing. Until now, travelers have had no way of avoiding this boundary. 

Croatia is engineering a by-pass route to circumvent this barrier. The new route leaves the Croatian mainland a few miles before the Bosnia & Herzegovina border and crosses the brand new Peljesac Bridge onto the Croatian Peljesac Peninsula. The road then travels the length of the peninsula and heads back onto the Croatian mainland at a point beyond the Bosnia & Herzegovina border. 

The Croatian government contracted with a major Chinese Construction Consortium for this mega-project. The government anticipates that the by-pass will be completed by July 2022, on-time and on-budget!

Unfortunately, we missed the by-pass by only six weeks. But it did mean we actually entered Bosnia & Herzegovina and got to notch another country in our passports! 

Once in Bosnia & Herzegovina, we stopped in a very special little seaside town called Neum. The views of this little town come straight out of a tourist catalogue. We stopped at one of the local hotels with an amazing view of the surrounding area.

Our guide told us that Bosnia & Herzegovina prices are significantly lower than Croatia, and encouraged us to consider a trip to visit Mostar for a day. There's a lot of history in Mostar, and it is definitely on our list for a future trip. They have an iconic bridge structure that spans the major river that divides the city. 

As we again entered the Croatian coast, we passed close to the Peljes Peninsula area and saw a number of farming operations cultivating oysters and shell fish just off shore. Oysters and mussels from this area are sold all over Croatia. This area is also quite a tourist attraction for Croatians.

As we got closer to Dubrovnik, we began to see small towns with houses, cars, shops, and more people. The four-hour ride was at an end. All the interesting new sights along the way absolutely helped to pass the time. There's no doubt, traveling by car, bus, or train is a must if you really want to get a feel for a country. Air travel is highly efficient, but you miss so much!

The excitement started to build and everyone was anxious to get their first glimpse of the magical city of Dubrovnik...

The Old Town and Fortifications of Dubrovnik
Lord Biron called it "The Pearl of the Adriatic," and with good reason. Our biggest fear was that Dubrovnik could never live up to everything we'd heard. It did, and, in fact, actually way exceeded our expectations! The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for very good reason.

Dubrovnik is one of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean, especially for cruise travelers. Dubrovnik is a deep water port, so the mega-cruise ships are almost a permanent part of the landscape here.

Our first glimpse of Dubrovnik presented itself in dramatic fashion as we rounded a corner and saw the impressive modern Cruise Port in Gruz.

The Port at Gruz has tremendous capacity, and can accommodate up to five cruise ships at a time. 

Dubrovnik is one of six major international cruise destinations in Croatia: Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Zadar, Sibenik, Split, and Ploce. Over one million cruise passengers disembark in Dubrovnik each year.

 As we arrived at the look-out point just before Gruz, we were greeted by one of the mega-cruise ships and the impressive modern Franjo Tudman bridge.

Dubrovnik is the most popular destination in Croatia. Popular culture is to be blamed--or celebrated--depending on your viewpoint. Star Wars: The Last Jedi used Old Town as a backdrop. HBO's epic series Game of Thrones (GOT) also filmed many scenes in and around the Old Town area. But much more on this later... 

As we crossed the Franjo Tudman bridge, Harry started his Dubrovnik orientation: Currently there is no major rail service to Dubrovnik, though this wasn't always the case. There was a narrow-gauge rail system that used to connect Dubrovnik with Mostar, Sarajevo, Zagreb, and Belgrade. The closest train service ends at Place, about two hours north of Dubrovnik.

Bus service has nicely filled the gap left by the lack of long-distance trains. The major bus station lies close to the Port at Gruz. From here, passengers can easily catch a shuttle or a taxi to the famous Old Town area.

Cruise ships also use the Old Town Harbor as a disembarkation point. However, passengers need to be ferried to the Old Town Pier by tender boats. The tenders drop travelers mere yards from the entrance to Old Town!

As we arrived at the parking area near the Old Town walls, we were told that our van would be leaving the area after drop-off. Parking comes at a steep premium near the walls of Old Town.

We were introduced to our Old Town guide and oriented to the Old Town walking tour, which was scheduled to take about 90 minutes. After the guided tour, we were to have free-time for about two and a half hours to explore the city on our own.

First, the tour guide provided us with a detailed history of Old Town.

Dubrovnik was called Ragusa for a good part of its history. The city was originally established by refugees from the nearby Roman city of Epidaurum, fleeing from the crumbling Roman Empire during the 6th and 7th Centuries.

After the Roman decline, the city was controlled by the Byzantine Empire and later by the Kingdom of Venice. Between the 14th and 19th Centuries, the Republic of Ragusa largely ruled itself.

The 1667 earthquake devastated the city, and much of it had to be rebuilt. The Ragusa Republic eventually came under the control of the Kingdom of Dalmatia.

The city later became part of the Yugoslavian Federation, which ended in the War of Independence that started in 1991. Dubrovnik was occupied and heavily damaged during the war.

Dubrovnik currently has a population of only 45,000, but space is quite limited for expansion.

Orientation completed, we headed toward the Ploce Gate entrance on the eastern side of the Old Town Fortress walls. 

After we crossed the stone bridge at the outer Ploce Gate, our attention was drawn to Fort Revelin. This fortification is one of the few ancient structures that survived the 1667 earthquake.

There are five major fortresses and towers that protect Old Town from invaders: Fort Revelin (east), Fort St. John (southeast), Fort Bokar (south), Fort Lovrijenac (southwest), and the Tower of Minceta (north).

Fort Revelin is one of two forts that were built outside the Old Town walls; Fort Lovrijenac lies near the southwestern section of the walls. These detached forts were built outside the walls as extra protection for the perceived weakest areas of the city.

The walls of Old Town are very impressive, rising to a height of 82 ft/ 25 m in places. The thickness of the walls varies greatly from the sea-facing side to the landward side. The landslide defenses are approximately 13 - 20 ft/4 - 6 m wide.

The Dubrovnik walls (1.2 miles/2 km long) were known as one of the best fortified during the Middle Ages, and were never penetrated. Our guide informed us that a separate tour is available to walk on top of the walls. The tour is especially good for bird's eye views of the layout of the city.

Another option for elevated views was the Dubrovnik Cable Car, which offers a 4-minute climb to the top of Srd Hill. Our van driver suggested we skip the $14 tram ride, and promised to take us to an amazing vantage point just south of the city at the end of the tour.

The original fortification only had four gate entrances that needed to be defended: Ploce (east), Pile (west), Peskarija, and Ponta (southeast near St. John Fort). The Buzz Gate (north) was added by the Austrians in 1908.

Today, the Ploce and Pile Gates are the most used by tourists. Both gates have similar fortifications and structures, with both having inner and outer gates. The outer gates are accessed by crossing a stone bridge, while the inner gates are accessed by crossing a drawbridge.

After crossing through the Ploce gate and its inner gate drawbridge, we truly entered the walled city. Our first view was of the Old Town harbor. To the right, we saw the impressive St. John Fort guarding the southeastern flank of Old Town. The Fort was completed in the 16th Century.

The Maritime museum sits next to the fort structure. A little to the north of the St. John's Fort, there are a series of vaulted arches identifying the old Arsenal building. This is where Old Town shipbuilders applied their craft in secret inside the structure. 

At the height of its maritime power, Dubrovnik had almost 700 boats and ships under its protection. This included shoreline fishing boats and almost 250 sea-going vessels. Now vendors line the piers selling all kinds of island excursions.

A few restaurants are lucky enough to have concessions with spectacular views of all the action on the water.

Churches in Old Town are numerous, with many varied historical backgrounds. The details on these buildings are exquisite, especially considering their age and how beautifully they have been restored and preserved. 

Next, we pass 10th century Saint Luke's church, the 16th Century Gothic Church of the Annunciation, and the Church of St. Nicholas. The Church of Confraternity Rosario is found a little way down one of the side streets. The Church of St. Sebastian is a small medieval Church built in 1466 to protect residents from the plague.

We make our way to the Stradun (or Placa), the main street in Dubrovnik's old town that connects the Ploce (east) and Pile Gates (west).  Built at the end of the 9th century, it is paved with polished stone blocks. 

Stradun was originally a canal that separated the two rock settlements on which the city was founded in the early Middle Ages. When the canal was later filled in, Stradun became a street.

Stradun ends with Luža Square, surrounded by historic buildings that have stood for centuries.The square is the hub around which life in Dubrovnik has revolved for hundreds of years. It has been, and still is today, a place for locals and visitors alike to gather.

More than 1,000 people still live in Old Town. Our guide notes that living there isn't as romantic as it sounds. Garbage is collected at 3 am, trucks start cleaning the streets at 4 am, and the daily supply trucks begin their deliveries around 5 am.

But it seems the residents wouldn't have it any other way! They find a way to make it work, decorating their porches and balconies for everyday existence. It's like living on a live movie location.

Within Luza Square is the 16th-century architecture of Sponza Palace, whose name derives in Latin to the spot where rainwater was collected. The structure survived the city's 1667 earthquake without damage.

The Sponza Palace has served in countless capacities over the centuries: armory, customs house, mint, treasury, bank, and business meeting place. 

Today, Sponza is home to the city archives, which holds documents dating back to the 12th century. Of note, the famous Dubrovnik Summer Festival opening ceremony is held here every year. The festival is a grand celebration that celebrates theater and the arts from July 10th - August 25th every year.

One of the city's major sights within Luza Square is the church of Saint Blaise, the patron Saint of Dubrovnik. The church was destroyed completely by a devastating fire in 1706.

Everything disappeared in flames, except for the statue of St Blaise, which was saved by some miracle. Reconstructed in 1715, the building architecture displays numerous statuary and ornate details all along its facade.

Leaving Luza Square, we headed up a major offshoot from the Strada running parallel to the eastern boundary of the city: Pred Dvorak. On the left, we saw the unmistakeable Rector's Palace, which was the administrative centre of the Dubrovnik Republic of Ragusa starting in the 14th century.

The building has gone through several rounds of rebuilding because of fire, earthquakes, and deterioration. As a result, the building features a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.

Over the years, the Rector's Palace held an armory, the powder magazine, the watch house, and a prison. Today it houses the Cultural Historic Department of the Dubrovnik Museum. The building's atrium has excellent acoustics, and is often used as a concert venue.

The Pred Vlorom ends in front of the inspiring Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, also called the Dubrovnik Cathedral. The towering elegant dome is a powerful symbol of the city. The impressive front facade of the building greets admirers with four magnificent Corinthian columns. 

The present day version of the Cathedral is built on the site of a series of rebuilds that date all the back to the 7th Century.

Legend has it that the English king, Richard the Lionheart, contributed quite a bit of money to build the reconstruction of the 12th Century version of the Cathedral. Richard was shipwrecked near Dubrovnik when he returned from the third crusade. He really appreciated the assistance provided by his Dalmatian hosts at the time.

We traveled west from the Cathedral using some of the smaller streets to get to the Jesuit Staircase. This is where things get real interesting for Game of Thrones (GOT) fans!

The ornate Baroque staircase towers up toward one of the highest points on the southern end of Old Town. It's worth the climb even if you aren't a GOT fan. Once at the top, we turned to look back down the staircase, imitating Cersei as she stood at the top of the stairs preparing for her famous walk of shame. 

The small square at the top of the stairs is home to the 17th Century Baroque-style St. Ignatius Church. The Church, and its attached buildings, were once used as one of the elite Jesuit Colleges, and modeled after the main Jesuit church in Rome. This square is also used for theatrical productions during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

We headed back to the Stradun and Luza Square. The Strada is anchored on both ends by two impressive Bell Towers: the Dubrovnik Clock Tower on the eastern end and the Franciscan Monastery Bell Tower on the western side.

As we headed west on the Stradun, our guide informed us that the Stradun and some of the buildings on the avenue had been damaged by mortar fire during the War of Independence. 

Passing through the Stradun to the far western end, we saw the famed Big Onofrio's Fountain. Water was originally brought to the city via Roman aqueduct, and this fountain was the last stop for all that water! The area around the fountain seems to be another gathering point. Traditional Croatian musicians can be seen here entertaining tourists.

Across from the fountain, we saw the Franciscan Monastery and the ornate Saint Saviour Church. This small church has an interesting story: It was originally commissioned by the local Senate after a devastating 1520 earthquake.

The church was meant to celebrate the fact that most of the city was spared, and was completed in 1528. St. Saviour also survived the massive 1667 earthquake and is one of the oldest buildings in the city today. 

As we exited the western Pile Gate, we were treated to yet another location often used by GOT for various scenes, the most famous being the filming of The Riot. The scene showed Joffrey confronting an angry mob when one of the protesters throws manure in his face as he heads back to the Red Keep. 

We headed south toward the water's edge and the Dubrovnik West Harbor area. Again, this whole sector is loaded with GOT scene locations.There's lot to unpack here. Let's break it down into the separate filming zones used by GOT.

First up, Fort Lovrijenac. As we reach the water's edge, we see a formidable structure high up on a ridge on the right hand side of the harbor. Like Fort Revelin, Lovrijenac lies outside the walls of the Old Town. Fort Lovrijenac protected Old Town against sea attacks coming from their southern and southwestern access points.

In GOT lore, Fort Lovrijenac is the fictional home of The Red Keep. Joffrey's Name Day and conversations between Cersei and Littlefinger were filmed inside these fortifications. Rumor has it that the fort is for rent for weddings at $4,200 per event!

The body of water below Fort Lovrijenac was used for the epic Battle of Blackwater Bay when Stannis Baratheon tried to take the Iron Throne from King Joffrey. The pier that extends out toward the rocks was also used in a scene between Sansa and Littlefinger.

Let's move over the body of water closest to the Old Town walls, called Pile Harbor. In GOT, the location was recast as King's Landing Harbor. Almost all the scenes showing arrivals and departures from King's Landing were shot here. In real life, the beach is actually the launching area for rental kayaks. GOT had to hire all the kayaks to close the location for filming!

The Old Town walls rise high above Pile Harbor and extend in a southern direction toward the sea. Strategically located at the point of that extension, we find one of the more impressive fortification along the walls: Fort Bokar. 

Fort Bokar protected Old Town against sea attacks coming from their southern and southeastern access points. Together, Fort Bokar, Fort Lovrijenac, and St. John's Fort secured Dubrovnik from sea attack for centuries.

GOT used Fort Bokar's high profile walls as King's Landing props in several scenes. Tyrion and Lord Varys were filmed having a serious discussion about the defense of King's Landing as they looked out at the sea.

In another scene, Cersei confides in Jaime that she is forming an alliance with Grayjoy. The most dramatic scene shows Daenerys sitting on top of one of her dragons as she plans to torch the city below.

As we left the Pile Harbor area, we walked back into Old Town through Pile Gate. This time we headed over to the northern walls. The Minceta Tower fortification sits at the highest point on the northern wall. It's quite a steep climb to the Tower, but apparently the views are well worth the intense walk.

The Minceta Tower is iconic Dubrovnik with its rounded tower. The Tower was pivotal in guarding Old Town against landside invaders to the north and northeast. The high walls of Minceta Tower and Fort Revelin formed an impenetrable barrier for centuries.

Minceta Tower was also showcased in GOT. The base of this fortification was featured as the House of the Undying in Qarth. The Tower is also used in the scene where Daenerys discovers that her dragons are missing. Daenerys is shown entering the House of the Undying to search for her beloved creatures. 

There's so much more to explore in Old Town, but our time was running out and we sadly headed back to our van.

What a fantastic day! But, wait ... our driver still had a surprise! He had promised to take us to a special viewing point high above Dubrovnik. We headed south and quickly gained altitude until we reached a lookout point above Sveti Jakov Beach. From here, we had awesome views of Old Town and the Island of Lokrum.

We were interested to learn that Lokrum also featured prominently in GOT. The island was used to show the City of Qarth. Some of the garden scenes were filmed in the beautiful botanical gardens of Lokrum.

Although not filmed there, the famed Iron Throne is now housed in Lokrum Island's Visitors' Center, making it a definite destination for GOT fans!. Ferries depart from the ports of Old Town Port quite regularly. Unfortunately, we just didn't have the time.

As we left Dubrovnik, we were sad to think that we may never return to Dubrovnik. It was a long day, but worth every single minute!

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