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A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

  • July 3, 2017
  • By 50 Shades
  • 10 Comments
A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

For those of us that watch the Game of Thrones TV series, we’ve been captivated by the shooting locations of this epic fantasy saga. Hence my excitement when I learnt that we were arriving in Dubrovnik, the film set for ‘King’s Landing’. But apart from the impressive sight of the 7th century Old Town and the stunning location on the Adriatic Sea, it was a dreamy day in Dubrovnik that will stay with me forever.

Dubrovnik is located in Croatia on the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea, and as far as scenery goes, this would have to be one of the most spectacular cities in Eastern Europe. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667 and massive shelling by the Yugoslav People’s Army after the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991, the city survived and is now restored to its former glory.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Views of Dubrovnik from the Old Town Walls

Dubrovnik Old Town

On our early morning arrival into Dubrovnik Port we were taken by shuttle bus into the city centre near the Old Town walls. Immediately we were struck by the beauty of the high-rising cliffs and a stunning ancient city wall overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik City Square

Without delay we made our way to the entrance to the Old Town and began to amble down the Stradun, the main street of the Old Town, made entirely of white marble. Fortunately the crowds weren’t too bad due to our early start.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Pile Gate – the entrance to the Old Town

Once we entered the Old Town at Pile Gate we found ourselves in a square looking at the ornate Onofrio Fountain.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Onofrio Fountain

Here there were street musicians and a man with several colourful parrots that you could have your photo taken with.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Stradun – the main street of the Old Town

Whilst we walked through the romantic city lanes we not only saw the most beautiful late-Renaissance houses, but felt a somewhat mystic dreamy atmosphere rising from the ancient stone walls.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Jesuit Staircase in the Old Town

If you’re a die-hard Game of Thrones fan you can grab a map and tour the shooting locations around Dubrovnik or join a guided tour.

Dubrovnik Old Town Buildings

Although the Old Town dates back to the 7th century, the walls weren’t built until the 12th century as a defence mechanism against a myriad of enemies who attempted to conquer Dubrovnik. There are many fine examples of Gothic and Romanesque architecture in the buildings that are within the Old Town walls.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Sponza Palace

We discovered Stradun was brimming with numerous souvenir shops, galleries, coffee bars and restaurants.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Restaurants and Markets in the Old Town Square

However once you get to the other end, Stradun finishes in a lovely square surrounded by some of the most important historical sights of Dubrovnik. We saw the City Cathedral, the Church of St. Blaise, the Sponza Palace (the city archive), the Rector’s Palace, the Bell Towers and Orlando’s Column.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Cathedral Treasury

Strolling Dubrovnik’s Old Town Walls

Once you have your fill of the dreamy atmosphere of the Old Town narrow streets and ancient buildings you can climb the stairs up to the top of Dubrovnik Old Town Walls. We paid our admission fee of around 150 Croatian Kunas ($30 AUD) and walked in an anti-clockwise direction.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

View over the Old Port from the Old Town Walls

We were immediately awestruck by the magnificent 360 degree panoramic views that we were afforded, both back over the terracotta tiled roof buildings, the Old Port, Lokrum Island and out to the turquoise seas of the Adriatic.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Views from the Old Town Walls

The 2K walk can take around 2 hours to complete, but there are a couple of cafes and toilets along the way.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

One of the cafes on the Old Town walls

The monumental walls that encircle the old town of Dubrovnik are of various thicknesses and are punctuated by the towers of Fort Minceta, Fort Bokar and St John Fort.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

The walk along the Old Town Walls

The height also varies according to the configuration of the terrain; in some places it reaches 25 metres, so it’s not for the faint hearted!

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

A Sentry Box on the Wall

Fort Lovrijenac

Now it you’re not forted out completely I would suggest you make the effort to walk up the hundreds of stairs to Fort Lovrijenac, built upon a 37 metre high sheer rock overlooking the sea.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Fort Lovrijenac

This triangular shaped fort is located adjacent to the Old Town and was constructed between 1018 to 1038, defended with 10 large cannons.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

One of the canons at Fort Lovrijenac

These days the three terraces of the fort are used for theatre productions during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. Standing on the top terrace with the most gorgeous views out to sea, I could imagine the suitability of this location as the stage for a Shakespeare production such as “Hamlet”. What a memorable experience this would be!

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

One of the 3 terraces at Fort Lovrijenac

An interesting fact about Fort Lovrijenac is that it also doubles as Red Keep in King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms in Game of Thrones.

Dubrovnik Other Attractions

After leaving the confines of the Old Town and Fort Lovrijenac, we walked back towards the port and watched sea kayakers set off on a sea adventure in a small bay.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Sea Kayakers in the sea in Dubrovnik

Once we walked around the headland of Fort Lovrijenac we discovered some walking paths and gardens that took us down past a small church and graveyard to a swimming area.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

One of the swimming areas in Dubrovnik

There are water taxis available out to Lokrum Island where the Dubrovnik Botanical Gardens are situated. The island is an uninhabited isle on Dubrovnik‘s doorstep, lush with pines, palms and cypress trees and dotted with diverse ruins and remnants.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Lokrum Island

Otherwise you can head to Dubrovnik‘s city beach, Banje, which is a short walk from the Ploče Gate in the Old Town. It’s an ideal beach for kids, with showers, deckchairs for hire, plus jet skis and inflatables.

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Banje Beach

If you want an even broader bird’s eye view of Dubrovnik you can scale the steep incline to Mount Srd. You can either catch a cab or jump on the orange Cablecar. At the cablecar station, the Panorama restaurant offers the same view, along with seafood platters, cocktails and fine local wines. Not a bad place to have a bite of lunch and relish the magnificent views!

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Bird’s eye view from Mount Srd

Sadly our dreamy day in Dubrovnik came to a close and we hadn’t even got to the famous “hole-in-the-wall” Buza Bars that I’d heard so much about. These secret bars are hidden on the outside of the city walls in the Old Town and I would have liked nothing more than sitting back and enjoying a cold glass of Croatian wine watching the sunset over the Adriatic Sea. Oh well, maybe next time!!

A Dreamy Day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik Buza Bar

Have you been to Dubrovnik and walked the ancient Old Town walls?

Wanting more information on travelling in Croatia. Visit Jet Settera – Places to Visit in Croatia

 

 

 

 

 

 

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By 50 Shades, July 3, 2017 Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
  • 10

50 Shades

Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.

10 Comments
  • sandy from Tray Tables Away
    July 3, 2017

    Its certainly one of the worlds most photogenic cities !
    t wasn’t until our second visit that we realised no-one actually lives in old Dubrovnik – its purely now just a tourist attraction. But perhaps that’s why it is so clean and well organised ? I would happily go back to Croatia in a heart beat. These photos have really made me yearn for more!

    • Kathy
      July 3, 2017

      Yes I agree. It did look like some of the houses in the Old Town were inhabited because there was washing hanging out. Maybe this is just for show? I could also return to Croatia. It was fabulous. :)

  • Pinky Poinker
    July 3, 2017

    I’m sooo envious. I’d be expecting a dragon to fly over at any minute. You must have returned from your holiday very fit after all that walking.

    • Kathy
      July 3, 2017

      Yes I was looking for flying dragons too! The Jesuit Staircase in the Old Town is where Cersei walked naked down the street in her walk of shame! There was a lot of memorabilia around for both Game of Thrones and Star Wars as both have used the Old Town for shooting locations. It was a very enjoyable day here. :)

  • budget jan
    July 3, 2017

    I wandered if you got to the Buza bars. I had a Croatian beer at one of them. It was lucky that the town wasn’t too crowded when you were there. We were lucky in that respect also. Such a beautiful place that you have captured so well.

    • Kathy
      July 3, 2017

      Unfortunately no. Our short time here did not allow for us to have a drink at a Buza Bar. Dubrovnik got more crowded as the day wore on and there were a lot of people walking the wall that shouldn’t have been! It was a slow process getting around. :)

  • Life Images by Jill
    July 5, 2017

    Wow look at that view from Mount Srd. So many wonderful places to visit around the world. Thank you for taking us with you so we can see it through your eyes and camera! Happy travels Kathy, and thank you for visiting my blog this week.

    • Kathy
      July 5, 2017

      Yes that view from Mount Srd is magnificent. Dubrovnik was a wonderful place and I could easily spend more time here and in Croatia for that matter. :)

  • Janet Camilleri aka Middle Aged Mama
    July 22, 2017

    I got photos with those parrots when we were there in 2015! Thanks for reminding me of the great time we had in Dubrovnik :-0

    • Kathy
      July 23, 2017

      Dubrovnik was a dream. I loved walking around the Old City walls and seeing those magical views. We were lucky with the weather too. :)

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