Our time in Croatia was short, during our 5-week Balkans trip we only briefly skirted into Croatia to visit Dubrovnik so I can’t really give an overall picture of the rest of the country. Dubrovnik is a tourist hotbed, a former republic in its own right located at the extreme south of Croatia on a thin strip of land between Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. A semi-enclave, Dubrovnik is geographically isolated from the rest of Croatia, only connected to the rest of the country by the Pelješac Bridge.

Dubrovnik  

Dubrovnik is a major tourist destination for three reasons. Firstly, its distinct walled city. Known as the Old Town, the walled city is a huge area to explore with the main attractions being the Stadun (main thoroughfare from Pile Gate in the west to Ploče Gate in the east), the port area located on the eastern side of the city walls, the Church of St. Ignatius, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Onofrio’s Large Fountain, Sponza Palace and Rector’s Palace. Museums of interest in the Old Town include the Maritime Museum, Ethnographic Museum and the Franciscan Church and Monastery. To fully appreciate how spectacular the city is, it’s best to view it from above. The vibrant orange rooftops and beautiful domes of the churches stand out amongst the skyline. The higgledy-piggledy nature of the individual houses adds a certain old-timey charm to the Old Town.

The best views of Dubrovnik can be seen from the City Walls and Fort Lovrijenac (near the West Harbour)

The second reason that so many tourists flood the city is to gawk at the filming locations of Game of Thrones; some of the most iconic scenes of the fantasy series were filmed in Dubrovnik.

Cersei’s walk of shame was filmed here; standing in front of the Red Keep aka Fort Lovrijenac

The final reason that Dubrovnik is so popular is the excellent nearby beaches and relatively untouched islands of Koločep, Lopud, Lokrum and Šipan.

How stunning is Koločep! There’s even a TUI Blue resort there called TUI BLUE Kalamota Island on the island.

We found it fascinating to learn about the Republic of Dubrovnik, otherwise known as Ragusa, and the city-state’s naval supremacy. Before visiting, I had no idea that there even was a Republic of Ragusa, let alone that it was a main rival of Venice for sea trade and maritime dominance. For a very thorough introduction to Dubrovnik’s maritime history, I recommend checking out the Maritime Museum (entry is included in the Dubrovnik pass).

The legacy of the Siege of Dubrovnik during the Croatian War for Independence (1991) still hangs heavy in the air. The Yugoslav People’s Army bombed the Old Town and caused tremendous artillery and fire damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was estimated that 55.9 percent of buildings were damaged, that 11.1 percent were heavily damaged and one percent were burned down. The Old Town has now been fully restored to its original state, however some artifacts have been lost.

The main threat facing modern-day Dubrovnik is tourists, believe it or not. Every morning at 4am the streets of the Old Town have to be cleaned ready for the non-stop conveyor belt of tourists arriving each day. The crowds can be intense, with overcrowding being a constant threat. One former resident told us that the local people felt like animals in a zoo. Only 500 residents remain living in the walled city. Most have moved out of their traditional family homes to make way for boutique hotels or upmarket alfresco restaurants. What’s the point of remaining in a living museum, being gawked at by hordes of tourists when you can rent or sell your house for millions of dollars? The waning minority of residents still clinging onto their way of life is dwindling rapidly, mass tourism is destroying their way of life which has remained unchanged for generations. Now, Game of Thrones-mad tourists pack the quaint squares and fill the narrow alleyways, driving many residents out of their homes once and for all. Demand for hotel rooms in Dubrovnik has soared, and Game of Thrones tours have increased so much in popularity that hundreds take place every year. 

Just imagine hordes of tourists squeezing through these narrow alleyways, eek!

Cruise ships are adding to the issue of over-population and overcrowding in the walled city by dumping thousands of day-trippers on the shore daily. During peak season there are up to 4 cruise ships visiting per day, this has caused serious crowd control issues in parts of the walled city which can be quite narrow. We were visiting out of season and while it was still very busy and crowded, we saw photographs illustrating how bad it was during the peak season and it looked like a full-on crush to even enter or exit the walled city through the most popular entrance gate. According to our walking tour guide, some tourists even experienced panic attacks in the crowd.

Because of the huge demand, prices are sky-high in the walled city of Dubrovnik, and still relatively high in the rest of Croatia since the introduction of the Euro in January 2023. A main meal will set you back around £15 at least in the Old Town of Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik: Tips for Budget Travellers

Dubrovnik is one of the most expensive places to visit in the Balkans. Check out my blog post with tips for budget travellers in Dubrovnik here.