If you are the type of travel person that is looking to visit a destination that has already stepped in history as well as natural beauty, or just someone who likes to eat great food, drink some good drinks or relax a little, then you should definitely get on the next plane to visit one of Europe's most amazing old towns - Dubrovnik.

Even though this town is known for it's turbulent history during which was occupied or conquered by a number of its European neighbors and their colonial powers, right now Dubrovnik is a town at peace which allows for it's visitors to make the most out of it's architecture, blue seas and white pebble Dubrovnik beaches. Dubrovnik tourism is one of the town's main industries also and you shouldn't have any trouble finding accommodation in Dubrovnik so that you can visit all of it's main attractions. There are plenty of hotels in Dubrovnik for you to take in consideration.

Dubrovnik has also drawn huge amounts of people that are seeking fine accommodations for centuries, as well as those that are into perfect cuisine, beautiful surroundings and a variety of recreational opportunities.
It was described as "heaven on earth" by Grorge Bernard Shaw as well.

Dubrovnik itself dates back from the 7th century and is also on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. The buildings in it represent a cross-section of medieval architectural styles and well preserved remain, and it is also enclosed by city walls that are built during the 13th century. Just inside the main entrance to the old city at Pile Gate you'll find Onofrio's Fountain which is one of most famous Dubrovnik attractions and also a popular meeting place for both locals and tourists. It's main street - the Stradun is the center of the old town, originally a channel that was separating an island from the mainland that was later filled in to link two opposite towns into the city of Dubrovnik. You'll easily be able to find numerous churches, museums and monasteries that you can take your time to explore.

It boasts lots of restaurants, ships and bars. And in case you are the party type, you should know that Dubrovnik nightlife is vivid as well. On the other hand, the coastal belt is awash with marinas, coves as well as promenades. You'll find that most of the best beaches and hotels are located north west of the town at Lapad, as well as on the north east part - Ploce. And in case you ever get lost or would simply like to take a look at how the town looks from above, you should take a look at a Dubrovnik map for that matter.

The Dubrovnik airport is easily accessible, and you'll find that throughout the year there are plenty of different events occurring that you can attend to. Many airlines now fly into Dubrovnik. Make sure you search and compare cheap flight tickets to ensure you get the best price.
The Dubrovnik weather is mostly sunny throughout the year, and it has a mediterranean climate. The summers are hot and long whilst the winters a short and mild.

Best time to come

Best time to visit Dubrovnik would be in the late spring or in the end of the summer. During that time you can swim, sit outside and enjoy the sun wile avoiding the extremely hot Croatia summer. Also, at that time of year there are other tourists in Dubrovnik, but there is no crowd. During the summer lots of cruisers visits Dubrovnik which means that the streets of the Old City are filled with way too many people.

Where to stay

When in Dubrovnik, it is really important to try to find a place as close as you can to the Old City. Preferably in it, if you do not mind the crowd, the noise, the heat and cats. In my opinion it is worth it for the unique experience of sleeping and living in the ancient city with hundreds of years old streets and squares. Staying close to one of the city gates (especially gate Pile) lets you enjoy the buzz of the town without at least some of the downsides.

Hotels in Dubrovnik are expensive, especially if they are in the central area. There is a Youth hostel (part of the YHA and Hostelling International), not very cheap, bat cheaper than the hotel and quite close to the Old City. ALso, check out some hostels in the Old Town such as Hostel Old Town of Fresh Sheets hostel.

There is some private accommodation which can be wallet friendly, not far from the city centre (check out here). The local specialty: some monasteries that have student dorms rent these rooms during the spring and summer relatively cheap. It might take you some time to get to the information (no, they are not on booking.com:), but come on, you get to sleep in beautiful old and still functioning monastery:) (for information, try some of these numbers, they will, probably, speak English).

Where to eat

You do not have to spend the fortune on food in Dubrovnik, although many people would tell you that you do. If you leave the main street of the Old Town, Stradun, you will find some places for a quick snack like pizza slice or fries. Typical Croatian sources of available food are bakeries (in Croatian we say ‘pekarnica’) where you can buy sweet and salty pies (be sure to try famous burek), pastry, pizzas and different kinds of bread. You can find all of these places in the street parallel to Stradun called Ulica od puča. Famous eatery Škola (school – in Antuninska street, just few meters left form the Stradun) serves great sumptuous sandwiches with local ingredients and freshly baked bread which are definitely good value for money. You can visit a street market and buy some local vegetables and cheese. Or simply try one of the traditional Croatian summer combinations: white bread, meat pate or cheese spread (available in markets) and tomatoes. Make sandwiches, sit in the park or near the see and enjoy your picnic.

Where to eat out

Dubrovnik is tourist city. Many of the places offering food there are, well, tourist restaurants. Still, Croatian coast is famous for the excelen fresh and not too expensive fish food and you can also find some places like this in Dubrovnik. Try Peškarija (it means Fish market), lovely and unpretentious restaurant right in the port, serving only a few dishes, but always extremely fresh and very well prepared. There might be a queue, though, there are quite popular. There is also a local eatery at Gundulićeva poljana. There are several restaurants there, but you are looking for the one with the least appealing chairs and old and cranky waitresses. Again only few dishes, but always fresh. Their specialty is clams so be sure to try some.

If you strive for some non-fish, there are also places for you. For pizza, try to find a small street a bit away from the Stradun (Ulica za rokom) with Mea Culpa, famous pizza place. For meat, I would recommend Bosnian restaurant Taj Mahal (Nikole Gučetića Street). They serve variety of specialties form the neighboring Bosnian area which is gastronomically diverse and interesting area with lots of Turkish influence.

Where to swim

Although Dubrovnik lies on the coast, it is not an easy job to find a nice place to swim. People might try to convince you that you have to go outside the Old City or at some of the private hotel beaches to enjoy. However, just near the Old City there are hidden jewels of crystal blue see surrounded by white cliffs and fluffy clouds. Three great locations that you can visit are beach Danče, beach Boninovo and a small beach under the fortress Lovrijenac.

Danče is about fifteen minutes on foot from the Old City. It is a beach under the beautiful monastery, its church and old graveyard. Enjoy the large rocks, wild nature, deep see and undisturbed sea view. To find the beach, exit town by Pila Gate, follow Ulica od Tabakerije and Ulica Frane Bulića and than the narrow path will lead you to the coast.

Beach Danče

Beach Boninovo is not very easy to reach, but it is well worth it. If you follow the road from the city gate Pile, at the top of the hill you can see very steep cliffs. This is Boninovo, the place notorious for many suicides, but famous for the beautiful view. There is a small path that leads form the road to the sea. The path will lead you to one of the most beautiful places in Dubrovnik. Rough rocks, steep entrance to the see and deep blue water take you to the different, sharp world of happiness.

Beach Boninovo

Beach under Lovrijenac is not very easy to find. Although you might see the beach when visiting Lovrijenac, getting there is something else. At the Pile gate square find the stairs that will lead you to the Ulica od Tabakerije. When you reach the small port, you will see the stairs leading to the Lovrijenac fortress and a narrow pedestrian street UUlica od Tabakerije). Follow the street and on your left you will see the short passage (there are few of them, use the second or the third one). Passage leads you to the small beach below Lovrijenac. Locals use it for quick swim or to have coffee in the improvised bar in one of the huts build into the rock and caves.

All beaches mentioned are mainly visited by locals and are not the places where you might rent a deck chair or meet bunch of young people having a beach party. Of course, there are other beaches near Dubrovnik with more people and more things to do. However, you will have no problem in finding those. Just follow the stream of people.

See also

The main tourist destinations in Croatia