Day 7 (2/6) – Dubrovnik and How to Enjoy It In One Day

The best way to enjoy Dubrovnik old town is to 1)  get the Dubrovnik Pass and 2) be there early.

There are 3 types of Dubrovnik Pass: 1-day, 3-day, 7-day. They cover the exact same number of sights + free city bus rides for the duration of the pass. The 1-day Pass is good enough for day trippers like us.

How early is early? Be there just when the gates open ie 8am in summer and 9am in winter. Be there before the crowd swells.

If residing outside of old town, start your excursion from the Pile Gate. Outside Pile Gate, you have 2 options: visit the Lovrijenac Fortress first, or jump straight onto the Walls of Dubrovnik. I recommend seeing Lovrijenac first because Lovrijenac is outside of the old town and once done, you can spend the rest of the time walking the Walls and exploring the old town (which takes much longer).

From Lovrjenac, you can get your panoramic shot of Dubrovnik old town or juxtapose scenes from the Red Keep in Game of Thrones.

Lovrijenac Fortress – Symbol of Freedom

Also known as St. Lawrence Fortress, Lovrijenac was built on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The fortress was a vital defensive position guarding Dubrovnik against attacks from the west. It also protected the city’s Pile Gate and the nearby harbor.

Constructed in the early 11th century, Lovrijenac was a response to threats from the Venetian forces, who wanted it to build a fort at the same location. Its defense prowess was also flexed during various conflicts, including the Ottoman sieges.

The fortress has triangular-shaped walls designed to face potential attackers from both land and sea. The walls on the sea-facing side are 4–12 meters thick, while the landward walls are thinner to allow for intentional destruction in case of enemy capture. Lovrijenac features three terraces and a strategic layout that allowed it to accommodate large cannons and defensive troops.

Above the entrance, the Latin inscription “Non Bene Pro Toto Libertas Venditur Auro” is carved, meaning “Freedom is not to be sold for all the gold in the world“, reflecting Dubrovnik’s strong commitment to independence.

The Walls of Dubrovnik

There are three entrances to get to the Walls of Dubrovnik: Pile Gate, Ploče Gate, St John Fort (which houses the Maritime Museum).

The Walls likely had its origins in the 7-10th centuries, were expanded in the 12-13th centuries when Dubrovnik became an established maritime city and further reinforced during the 14-16th centuries.

Stretching for approximately 1.94km with heights of up to 25m in some places, the landward walls are up to 6m thick while the seaward walls are thinner. The Walls include 15 towers, 2 corner fortresses, 2 gates and several bastions.

Impressions of Dubrovnik

We were not early enough.

We were out of our apartment 10 minutes before 8am , to catch bus #6 to Pile Gate, but we were not early enough. The bus stop was already packed with tourists all heading in the same direction. But we squeezed up all the same, because the next bus would be worse.

We reached Pile Gate at 830am and decided that we would do the Walls first  as we saw a small crowd had already gathered near Pile Gate. But it wasn’t that crowded on the Walls, and the sun was still pleasant, so it was an extremely enjoyable walk. Dubrovnik deserved all the hype it’s been getting.

The old town was expansive yet compact enough for us to take it all in, in one single view. Backed against the blue Adriatic Sea, we understood why it’s been called the ‘Jewel of the Adriatic’.

We spent about 1 hour 40 minutes on the Walls including visits to 2 museums, at a very leisurely pace.

Food for the Soul

There were ample food options in old town but Soul Kitchen stood out for it’s simple, plant-based fare (with the occasional meat delight) that featured seasonal fresh produce. It was so good we had both brunch and lunch there.

For brunch, we had Let’s Move To The Beat (beetroot hummus on grilled bread, with avocado, aruguila, poached eggs). Lunch was That’s Good to Pear (caramelised pear & walnuts & baby spinach on grilled bread), Kiss My Chick (pulled chicken shawarma in grilled tortilla with pomegranate & orange-dates couscous), When A Man Loves a Burger (bbq beef burger with red cabbage, caramelized onions, bacon and fries).

Mount Srd

After lunch, we decided to check out the trail to the top of Mt. Srd.

Mt Srd is a hill overlooking Dubrovnik. Although only 412 metres above sea level, it offers panoramic views of Dubrovnik old town.

It played a critical role during the Siege of Dubrovnik (1991-1992) when the Yugolav People’s Army (JNA) shelled it repeatedly in an attempt to capture it for their own use but was eventually repelled by the Croatian forces.

The climb was more difficult than anticipated. To get to the trail head we had to first scale hundred+ steps up to the top of the town. That’s 30 minutes of pure vertical climbing.

The trail was mostly unshaded and composed of loose screed on long zig-zag paths via the side of the mountain. Great for taking in unblocked panoramic views of the old town below but bad for a comfortable ascent. It was mid afternoon; the heat from the indefatigable afternoon sun seared through our morale fast and we made tortoise-speed progress.

55 minutes later, we reached the summit (felt like 5 hours). For a niftier, more relaxed ascent, take the cable car (€27 return).

Near the top of the trail, we could look afar and get a full view of Dubrovnik new town (to the east, where we were staying).

From Srd summit, we took 1 hour 20 minutes to hike back down to the Piles Gate bus stop. Our legs were all wobbly then. Luckily there were seats on the bus.

Dinner was at Pizzeria Papillon again because Pantarul was fully booked and we were exhausted. This time we had the Burratina affumicata (smoked burrata, cherry tomatoes, aceto balsamico beads), the Mortadella (smoked cheese, truffles, pistachio, olives) and the Tartufo pizza (Istrian smoked ham, sliced black truffles, assorted cheese). All were yummy!

Steps walked: 28,945
Food: Soul Kitchen, Pantarul, Taj Mahal, Stradoon, Mea Culpa

Next: Montenegro: Nikšić, Bosaca, Žabljak!

Visited 2 June 2023