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Dubrovnik
From the Professional Travel Guide 2005
Geography Overview
Dubrovnik is a coastal town overlooked by a range of mountains, the largest of which is Mount Srd with the Napoleonic Fort Imperial perched on top. Just 5km across the mountains is Bosnia & Herzegovina and 40km southeast is the border with Montenegro and westward across the Adriatic is mainland Italy.
The old walled city is on a small peninsula, residential and tourist development extends southeast (the Ploce district) along the coast a short distance. But most people live to the west of the old city on the larger bifurcated peninsula where one part is called Lapad and the other Babin Kuk. Residential and tourist development also extends northwest to the nearby port of Gruz.
The wide marble paved Stradun runs from the Pila gate to the Ploce gate and is the boundary of the old city of Ragusa to the south and old Dubrovnik to the north. The Ragusa side has all the grand building, churches and squares whereas the other side is steep climbing paths and steps to the city walls.
Just 15 minutes by boat from the town harbor is the peaceful and undeveloped island of Lokrum. 25 minutes northwest from the main port of Gruz are the beautiful Elaphite islands.
The island-studded coast of Croatia is generally referred to as the Dalmatian coast.
Sightseeing Overview
The walled city is only 2km in circumference and there is no motorized transport within the city walls so good footwear is the only preparation needed. Most of the main sites can be explored without negotiating the steps and steep alleyways leading off the main street. For disabled visitors the access gate without entrance steps is the Ploce gate.
Walking around the city wall battlements will identify the main highlights to visit. All the main sights are within minutes of each other so it doesn't matter which order they are visited. In July and August everywhere will be very busy so an early start should pay off.
Dubrovnik's major summer highlight is the Summer Festival from 10th July to 25th August. Every room is sold out well in advance and the crowds are enormous. Fabulous if you want to see open air concerts or Hamlet set in a medieval castle or classical music in a Baroque palace but a potential nightmare if you just came to visit the city.
Don't worry about locating places with unpronounceable street names because everywhere is easily found in the compact city center.
Must See Or Do
- Have a drink at sunset in the "sunset bar" or a meal in one of the restaurants of the Dubrovnik Palace and watch the sun sink behind the Elaphite islands. The number 4 bus from the Pila gate goes to the Dubrovnik Palace at the tip of the Lapad peninsula.
- Visit the Treasury, inside the Cathedral, containing 100 unique reliquaries of saints including a piece of the "true cross" and various body parts encased in gold.
- Eat at the Locanda Peskarija at Na Ponti on the harbor-side. Its specialty is "black risotto", which is rice and cuttlefish cooked in the animal's own "ink". The coloring is not actually ink but the substance squid like animal's use as a defensive mechanism to escape from predators.
- The Troubadur is more than a bar but not a nightclub. Although very small inside it spills out with dozens of tables in the summer. A jazz musician owns it and jazz plays day and night with frequent live performances during the summer.
- The 2km walk along the top of the city walls is an absolutely unique experience.