When the heat of summer is gone, September is a wonderful time to visit Dubrovnik. The weather is still very good and the number of tourists has dropped. So we decided to visit the city mid September to have the best of both. In this blog post I will share my highlights of the city of the 'Game of Thrones'.
This is the view over Stradun (the main street) seen from the city walls:
Dubrovnik is also known as the 'pearl of the Adriatic' and the 'city of stone and light' as the city is built from light colored stones and marble paved streets, which is the perfect decor for sunlight reflections from dusk till dawn.
Fans of the tv-series 'Game of Thrones' probably know this city better as 'King's Landing', the fictional capital where many scenes were filmed. Because of these famous filming locations, Dubrovnik attracts more and more visitors each year. I have never seen Game of Thrones, so I only wanted to visit the city for its beautiful architecture and surroundings. To escape the constant hustle and bustle we decided not to overnight within the city walls, and choose in Cavtat instead.
I took this picture from the city walls from where you have a beautiful view over St. Lawrence Fortress, which is often called 'Dubrovnik's Gibraltar'.
Cavtat is a small old town around a beautiful bay at the Adriatic Coast where the water is crystal clear and the pine trees smell awesome. Cavtat is only 18 km away from the city centre of Dubrovnik and a good place to escape the crowds of the city. (But please note that Cavtat can be touristy too) What I liked most was the beautiful walking path along the coast, the Mausoleum and the sunset view from Beach Bar Little Star.
From Cavtat you can book a pleasant boat ride which takes you within 45 minutes (€12 per person for a return ticket) to the old harbor of Dubrovnik which is in the heart of the city.
We were on this boat with around 20 other people:
We took the first boat of the day and left Cavtat behind:
After we arrived in the old harbor, we immediately went to the city walls (constructed between the 14th and 15th century and 1.940 meters long) to walk the rampart tour. The entrance costs €13 per person and with this ticket you can walk the full route (in 1 direction, counter clockwise). It took us about 1,5 to 2 hours to complete the whole tour because we liked to stop every once in a while to enjoy the amazing views over the old town and the dramatic coastline. I would recommend to do this tour early in the morning because of the heat as there is no shade and there are lots of stairs to climb (1.080 in total to be exact).
View from the city walls over the old harbor where the boat from Cavtat arrives and departs:
I took this picture from the Minceta Tower, the highest point in the defense system:
After this walk we were happy to sit back and relax a bit at Cogito Coffee, the only specialty coffee shop in town I could find. It is situated close to the walls and the cute little terrace lies beneath an 'arch'.
Within the city walls we have counted numerous of churches and elegant squares. We have visited several of them, like for example the Church of St. Ignatius to admire its architecture:
The streets of Dubrovnik have loads of charm and away from the main sights it can be very calm and quiet. The old town is pedestrian-only, which contributes to a pleasant walk through the appealing narrow and winding alleys.
Façade and votive candles of the Orthodox church:
This UNESCO World Heritage Site has so many gorgeous details! So be prepared to look up a lot :)
Orlando's Column is dedicated to an ancient knight (he's is actually a legend) who is a symbol of the city's freedom, it was carved in 1418. The platform on top of the column is suited for public proclamations.
The area of the old city is actually quite small and you can easily walk from one side to the other within half an hour, but there are many wonderful sights to discover on the way. We were able to see a lot within 1 day, but if we would have had a bit more time I could easily have spend a couple of hours more in this magnificent 'Pearl of the Adriatic'!
We stayed at Apartments Seafront in Cavtat which was just perfect.
The owner Kate is really friendly and the apartment was very clean and comfortable.
From here Dubrovnik Airport is only 6 km away.
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Please note: this post is not sponsored