Dubrovnik: More than a Game Of Thrones location!

Words & Pictures by Shaun Troke

If you were hoping for an article highlighting all things Game Of Thrones in Dubrovnik, click away now!

Having watched less than 8mins of one episode, and not having watched any more since, my reasons for visiting Dubrovnik were not because I was influenced by a TV show…

My own reasons were more standard:

Somebody told me that Croatia was beautiful, and secondly, it was a country I’d never visited before.

card dubrovnik croatia travelAnd, while the majority of my trip was spent on Lopud Island (feature coming soon!), armed with a 3-Day Dubrovnik Card, I had less than 48 hours to discover what else (other than Vikings & dragons) this now famous Old Town had to offer…

The Dubrovnik Card

The Dubrovnik Card comes in three different packages:

  • a 1-day Card
  • a 3-day Card
  • a 7-day Card.

Because my time in Old Town Dubrovnik was limited, I had to skip the 9 free entries into museums & galleries, and instead use the other benefits of on Card…

On The Buses:

The 3-day Dubrovnik Card gives you 6 free bus journeys.

The 1-day card will give you 24hrs of free bus travel; And, the 7-day card will give you 10 free bus journeys)…

And, the bus ticket is very simple to use: It just slides upside-down into the machine next to the bus driver, and pops right back out again…you’re on board the bus in seconds!

steps walls dubrovnik croatia travelThese 1-7 Day Bus Tickets will come in handy, particularly if you’re staying more than a 15mins walk away from the Old Town, especially in the summer.

Because, while Dubrovnik is small and easy to get around, it also consists of steep gradients, even on attractions such as the City Walls

Walking The Walls:

view walls dubrovnik croatia travelI’d researched that the best time to ‘Walk The Walls’ is first thing in the morning…

Before the crowds arrive, before it gets too hot…

So, I reached the entrance to the City Walls – at Pile Gate – a little after 8:30am.

old town view dubrovnik croatia travel I’d read it can take up to 2-3 hours to walk around the walls, I’d completed the circuit (solo) in less than an hour (I noticed that groups & couples were taking more leisurely strolls).

walls tower dubrovnik croatia travelIf you choose to do just one thing with your Dubrovnik Card, the City Walls should be it.

With plenty of photo opportunities galore, you’ll be treated to 360 views from every single angle of Old Town!

But, if you’re walking the walls in the summer, it’s worth taking note of this health-related advice…

TIP: Prepare for the heat!

I cannot stress enough how hot it will be. And, because the heat I experienced was on the first day of summer, the months of July & August are bound to be more extreme.

Shade isn’t always available on the walk, and, often where it is available, other people are consuming it. So do remember:

Carry plenty of water. However, there are drink & food vendors/restaurants at various points around the walls, should you not pack enough fluids.

Bring a hat. Or, an umbrella. Keep your head covered as much as possible, because you’ll be walking in direct sunlight for 1-3 hours.

Unfortunately, I underestimated the heat, which in turn led to one of my later island trips being cut short…

The Extras

(not available on the Dubrovnik Card)

Lokrum:

old port dubrovnik croatia travelThe closest island to the mainland – Lokrum – can be reached in 15mins by ferry.

 

I’d boarded the Lokrum Ferry immediately after the City Walls walk, without finding time to refill (or replace) my water bottle:

Big mistake.

lokrum ferry dubrovnik croatia travelAs the ferry made its way to the island, my water bottle had only a couple of sips of water left inside it…

But, the heat was starting to have an effect on my body.

I was also unsure about water supplies on the island…

lokrum ferry port dubrovnik croatia travelSo, once I’d disembarked from the ferry, I found the first bar/restaurant, just a minute or two from the port, and purchased 2 small bottles of water for an expensive 36kn (almost 5 Euro!)

Walking across the island, I tried to sightsee as much of it as I could…I mean, what’s a blog without pictures, right…?

But, for someone who is rarely unwell, my head was now pounding, my mind was confused…I knew this had to be the effects of the summer sun…

And, I had to take some time-out.

lokrum dubrovnik croatia travelOpting to exceed my limited budget, I found shelter at the nearest restaurant, and spent an hour just relaxing in the shade & eating food (not exactly the worst way to spend an hour!)

 

walls dubrovnik croatia travelFeeling better, yet wanting to avoid sun exposure, it felt right to board the ferry again, and the views of the City Walls were very soothing when returning to Dubrovnik’s Old Port…

 

One thing I did learn from this experience, though, is something you should also keep in mind about water supplies on both Lokrum and the mainland::

TIP: Save money on water!

Just a 3min walk from where the ferry drops you off, is the Bendictine Monestry of St Mary, that has a water tap outside of it. Just BYO bottle!

Oh, and, for you Game of Thrones fans, you’ll be pleased to know that this Monestary will soon be housing a GoT Museum, too.

Back on the mainland, there’s another water tap/fountain near to the Tourist Info centre at Pile Gate to refill your bottles (yes, the water is drinkable).

Fort Lovrijenac:

fort dubrovnik croatia travelIf like me, you find yourself wanting to escape the crowds – which can be very difficult in the summer months – the approach to Fort Lovrijenac via Dubrovnik West Harbour is a small quiet alcove away from the hoards of visitors in Old Town.

 

fort view dubrovnik croatia travel    fort view dubrovnik croatia travel

You can ascend the steps toward the Fort (which is in fact a Game of Thrones location!), which does have an entrance fee, but you can climb high enough (for free!) for quality pictures moment of the Old Town area from afar…

Cable Car:

cable car dubrovnik croatia travelSpeaking of things afar, you can also ascend 412 metres upward to the summit of Hill Srđ…

In less than 3mins!

Once you’re up there, the views are incredible!

And, you can see islands conveying into the horizon for up to 60 miles…

sunset dubrovnik croatia travel   dubrovnik croatia travel sunset

Originally, I’d planned to take the cable car trip at 7pm, in order to see daytime views, sunset views, and, night-time views…but, time was against me, so I kinda missed the daytime views, leaving my phone camera to take pictures only of the sunset, which don’t do the view any justice…

If anything, it’s now prompted me to invest in an actual camera!

The Finale

One thing I’ve been left wondering about Dubrovnik is how it might have been before the Game Of Thrones TV series began filming there…

My personal feeling is that over 50% of the tourists who now visit the area do so because of this GoT connection, which is brilliant for Croatian tourism, yet a little frustrating for the seasoned travellers.

While I’ve still no plans to be a Game of Thrones fan, my personal choices for visiting the Croatia were enough….though, my 2 days spent in Dubrovnik Old Town were NOT enough.

If you’re pondering a visit there yourself sometime soon, I’d say one week would give you plenty of time…

But, two weeks would be more rewarding: Remember, there’s island after island to visit, and I naively assumed that 4 days would allow plenty of time to do what I needed to…which it wasn’t.

Dubrovnik is one of those places that is so mesmerizing, I’d catch myself wondering what it would be like, living this by-the-water lifestyle on a daily basis, chugging around boats, drinking good coffee, and eating good food…

One day, I will go back, ideally for a month, if I can.

For now, though, if you do decide to take anything from this article, please let it be that you’ll prepare for the summer heat during your own visit to Dubrovnik…

You won’t want to lose any precious time while there!

Čuvaj se!

old town view dubrovnik croatia travel

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If you’d like more information or have any questions related to this article, please contact shaun@thetraveltab.co.uk

 

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