I recently spent some time in Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia, and was very impressed with the city as a whole. Despite being there in January, it was still a great experience. I can’t even imagine how crowded this place gets come summertime.
I should note, the image that you see in the header of this post is actually not taken inside of the Old Town, but rather from a cliff outside of it. Truthfully, the walls of Dubrovnik are probably the most spectacular thing. Inside Old Town Dubrovnik is actually quite small.
Getting to Old Town Dubrovnik
Admittedly, there isn’t a whole lot going on in the main area of Dubrovnik other than the main square. There’s the Hilton, and a few various shops, but most of the action itself is going to be in the Old Tow area itself.
Of course, there are other areas of Dubrovnik to see, many of which are more off the grid and less touristy than the Old Town. However, I don’t think any of these places have the simple WOW factor of the Old Town.
If you’re visiting Dubrovnik, there’s a good chance you’re actually staying in the Old City itself. The point of this post is just to give you a slight sneak peak and give a few recommendations.
From Dubrovnik Airport: You can take the bus, which leaves after every flight (only a few planes a day fly in and out of Dubrovnik) for 6 Euros.
Alternatively, a cab will run you about 35 Euros.
Those are the only options from the airport. It’s important to note that when you go back to the airport, the bus actually picks you up at a different bus stop than you were dropped off. The drop off is at Pile Gate, but the pickup is to the north of Old Town Dubrovnik.
Here’s what Pile Gate looks like, for reference. The bus stop is right outside of this (behind where I took the picture).
What To Do
Truthfully, the Old Town itself is quite small. It’s also one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to a lot of places in Europe.
The best advice I can give is just to wander around and take in the beauty. Souvenir shops, cafes, and other stores line the streets.
I mean, how much is there really to do in most Old Town squares, anyway? It’s just the atmosphere. The hustle and bustle. Knowing you’ve been somewhere that people have used as a central hub for hundreds, or thousands of years.
It’s what makes it so beautiful. See for yourself.
At night, it’s stunning too…
Would I Go Back?
The Old Town Dubrovnik is one of the best in all of Europe, but at the end of my three days in Dubrovnik I wasn’t dying to go back.
There just wasn’t enough to do to warrant staying any longer, nor enough to warrant coming back to see for a second time. I guess I would make an exception if I was coming into town for something like Yacht Week (huge in Croatia), or just to party.
But for tourism? Three days is plenty to see Dubrovnik.
Got questions about Dubrovnik? Leave them in the comments below!
