DUBROVNIK
6 THINGS YOU MUST DO IN...
This ancient city in Croatia suffered appalling damage during the Balkans war of the early 1990s but, as GARETH HUW DAVIES discovers, the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ has been restored to its former glory…
1. TOP SPOT
Before ou do anything else in Dubrovnik, take the cable car (120 kuna, or €16) to the top of Mount Srd from just behind the city walls. The journey takes less than three minutes and you’ll be rewarded with exceptional views over the old walled town and a garland of islands in the Adriatic.
2. WALK THE WALL
Dubrovnik stands supreme among the walled cities of the world. The medieval fortification is studded with forts, and it costs 120 kuna (€16) to walk the wall – the circuit takes about an hour to complete. Game Of Thrones fans, take note: the show used the walls as the setting for the King’s Landing. .
3. BAROQUE BEAUTIES
Most of the historic buildings are in the traffic-free Old Town, within the walls. Many were rebuilt after an earthquake in 1667 in the ornate and lavish Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles. Enter the walls through the western Pile Gate and walk on the smooth limestone of the main street, Stradun. You come to squares and statues, marble pillars, noble Renaissance arches, columned cloisters and intriguing cobbled alleys.
4. ISLAND ESCAPES
A scatter of islands can be found off Dubrovnik, occupied at various times by the Romans and Venetians. The closest, a 20-minute ferry hop away, is Lokrum, while the most distant is Lastovo, which is more than three hours away by catamaran.
5. SMART STAY
Stay in or around the Old Town if you can. One of the classiest hotels is the venerable Excelsior – this former royal villa has a splendid waterfront location. Also check out Restaurant 360, which serves modern Mediterranean food.
6. BUTTERFLY BAY
Nations cram together in this tight corner of the Balkans, offering some easy cross-border excursions. The Bay of Kotor, in adjoining Montenegro, is less than two hours from Dubrovnik, a pleasant day trip down the coast.
Shaped like a butterfly, it is technically a fjord, one of the most southerly in Europe.