A little over a year ago, we headed to Dubrovnik. Early June. Everybody seemed to go last summer. We were hoping for a spot of sunshine. Despite being June in the Mediterranean, we mostly saw rain.
We arrived at the small Hotel Cosmopolitan. The owner is one of the chattiest people and so very friendly. He drew maps for us, gave us instructions and offered his local advice on what to see and do. He also invited us to join him for a beer to watch the football world cup.
And he has a dog, which went down well with my other half. Definitely a lovely place to stay.
Our week was pretty dominated by football; spending most evenings in a bar watching at least one match. By day, we tried to visit the sights.
We marched the city walls, which give spectacular views over the old town. The old town is essentially where all the points of interest are. It is full of alleyways, nooks and crannies. Easy to get lost momentarily, but wonderful for wandering! There are shops and restaurants tucked away, up steep steps; everything just waiting to be discovered. The only problem with so many places in the small old town, is that they relay quite heavily on using outdoor space. When the heavens open, it causes a problem! And oh did the heavens open a few times during our visit!
There is a beautiful church in the old town, which is definitely worth a visit. We bought a pass for the old town, which gets you on the bus, as well as including entry to several tourist attractions. Available for one day, 3 or a while week, it is worth the money if you aren't staying inside the old quarter itself. Probably not so much if you don't need the bus pass as well, as to be quite frank, some of the sites aren't really worth visiting. We did in fact complete the whole collection (rain forcing us indoors more than the allure of the attraction). The aquarium is so-so and the house belonging to a Croatian author - let's be honest, the best bit is the guest book.
The nautical museum provides a wealth of information on Dubrovnik's history and is rather interesting - possibly not one for the kids.
As well as the old town, there are a whole host of boat trips that you can take. You just choose the one you like the sound of most. My partner and I opted for sea-kayaking. We were the only ones on our tour; possibly the grey skies and drizzle put others off, but we got our instructor and guide to ourselves. It wasn't too breezy so the paddling wasn't too difficult, but if you lack upper body strength completely, you may find that you start to ache very quickly. It was a great way to get out into the sea though and see the city from a different perspective. We stopped for photo opportunities and kayaked round the nearby islands and into a beautiful natural cove - shame about the pollution really. Being the active person that I am, this was definitely a highlight of my week.
We also took the cable car up the mountain. There's not a huge amount at the top - souvenir shop and a restaurant, but you can see the cross monument and take in the views across the local area. There is a steep path you can walk, if not wanting to pay for the cable car (not hugely budget friendly), but be warned - you do need to be quite fit to take it on!
The sun arrived in gloriousness for the last two days of our trip, coinciding with the arrival of 2 very large cruise ships. Dubrovnik is a popular stop for Mediterranean cruises and my word, don't you notice the difference when they arrive! We headed into the old quarter for our last full day and immediately saw a massive crowd by the gate nearest the bus stops. A non-moving mass of people. Upon further investigation, everybody was trying to get through the gate at once, then up the stairs to the walls just past the gate, plus the odd person trying to leave... it was chaos. Absolute madness. So we walked around the outside of the walls to the gate on the far side (there are at least 3 gates to the old town) and had no such problems anywhere else.
Dubrovnik was beautiful, but inclement weather does limit how much you can enjoy. It is not an indoor destination by any means. But if you love the sea and swimming, it will always appeal. Where else can you swim at the foot of a fort?
We arrived at the small Hotel Cosmopolitan. The owner is one of the chattiest people and so very friendly. He drew maps for us, gave us instructions and offered his local advice on what to see and do. He also invited us to join him for a beer to watch the football world cup.
And he has a dog, which went down well with my other half. Definitely a lovely place to stay.
Our week was pretty dominated by football; spending most evenings in a bar watching at least one match. By day, we tried to visit the sights.
We marched the city walls, which give spectacular views over the old town. The old town is essentially where all the points of interest are. It is full of alleyways, nooks and crannies. Easy to get lost momentarily, but wonderful for wandering! There are shops and restaurants tucked away, up steep steps; everything just waiting to be discovered. The only problem with so many places in the small old town, is that they relay quite heavily on using outdoor space. When the heavens open, it causes a problem! And oh did the heavens open a few times during our visit!
There is a beautiful church in the old town, which is definitely worth a visit. We bought a pass for the old town, which gets you on the bus, as well as including entry to several tourist attractions. Available for one day, 3 or a while week, it is worth the money if you aren't staying inside the old quarter itself. Probably not so much if you don't need the bus pass as well, as to be quite frank, some of the sites aren't really worth visiting. We did in fact complete the whole collection (rain forcing us indoors more than the allure of the attraction). The aquarium is so-so and the house belonging to a Croatian author - let's be honest, the best bit is the guest book.
The nautical museum provides a wealth of information on Dubrovnik's history and is rather interesting - possibly not one for the kids.
As well as the old town, there are a whole host of boat trips that you can take. You just choose the one you like the sound of most. My partner and I opted for sea-kayaking. We were the only ones on our tour; possibly the grey skies and drizzle put others off, but we got our instructor and guide to ourselves. It wasn't too breezy so the paddling wasn't too difficult, but if you lack upper body strength completely, you may find that you start to ache very quickly. It was a great way to get out into the sea though and see the city from a different perspective. We stopped for photo opportunities and kayaked round the nearby islands and into a beautiful natural cove - shame about the pollution really. Being the active person that I am, this was definitely a highlight of my week.
We also took the cable car up the mountain. There's not a huge amount at the top - souvenir shop and a restaurant, but you can see the cross monument and take in the views across the local area. There is a steep path you can walk, if not wanting to pay for the cable car (not hugely budget friendly), but be warned - you do need to be quite fit to take it on!
The sun arrived in gloriousness for the last two days of our trip, coinciding with the arrival of 2 very large cruise ships. Dubrovnik is a popular stop for Mediterranean cruises and my word, don't you notice the difference when they arrive! We headed into the old quarter for our last full day and immediately saw a massive crowd by the gate nearest the bus stops. A non-moving mass of people. Upon further investigation, everybody was trying to get through the gate at once, then up the stairs to the walls just past the gate, plus the odd person trying to leave... it was chaos. Absolute madness. So we walked around the outside of the walls to the gate on the far side (there are at least 3 gates to the old town) and had no such problems anywhere else.
Dubrovnik was beautiful, but inclement weather does limit how much you can enjoy. It is not an indoor destination by any means. But if you love the sea and swimming, it will always appeal. Where else can you swim at the foot of a fort?
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