Arriving in Dubrovnik was like walking into a medieval dream. The Old Town (meaning the old part of Dubrovnik) is surrounded by 80-foot limestone walls that have protected the city from assault for over 7 centuries. With Mount Srd at its back, the Old Town shoots up straight out of the Adriatic Sea. It is a fairy tale of a city with red-roof houses, quaint shops, restaurants, art galleries and churches.
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| My first stop after my long flight into Dubrovnik was to a popular restaurant called Nautica that is located just outside of the Pile Gate entrance to the Old Town. Nautica sits on the waterfront offering wonderful views of the Adriatic Sea and Old Town. |
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| Nautica offers fresh seafood and delicious meat dishes along with impeccable service and the unforgettable views. Couple that with a cold glass of Ozujsko, a Croatian beer, and you are set for a great afternoon! It's no wonder it is so popular with the locals. |
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| Quaint boats sit in and along the harbour in Old Town. |
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| Dubrovnik is steeped in stunning architecture and has a multitude of churches, monasteries, and museums. |
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| The Old Port has restaurants overlooking the harbour. |
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| A peak through the wall to the Old Port. |
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| No cars, buses, or trams are permitted within these 13-century walls which means that everyone travels on foot on these beautiful cobblestone streets. |
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| The Onofrio Fountain was originally built in 1444, has 16 ornately-carved masks and is still a part of the city's water supply system. |
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| The Stradun is the main street in the Old Town. |
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| The open-air market in Old Town is a great place to pick up fresh vegetables, cheeses, nuts, breads and fruits. It's also a great way to mingle with the locals....one of my favorite things to do! |
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| I caught a taxi boat at the Old Port to the nearby island of Lokrum. |
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| A short 20 minutes later I was at Lokrum Island. It is an unspoilt island dotted with remnants and relics. There is no hotel so it's a day trip, but what a day of relaxation and beauty! |
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| No crowds and the beauty of the Adriatic. Awh....I'm living the life! |
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| Bathing suits optional at the Nude Beach on Lokrum Island! Luckily, I was able to choose from three other beaches on the Island that welcomed my adorable cover up! |
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| Arriving back to the Old Port is an "awh moment" itself! |
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| See this innocent-looking gated hole? Well, this isn't just any hole.... |
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| .....that hole takes you to Buza II bar. And while there are many pubs and outdoor cafes to get a drink, no place is as unique as Buza II. Once you pass through this "nameless" hole through the wall of Old Town, you find yourself along the cliff that hangs over the Adriatic Sea. Now, whoever thought to throw a few tables and chairs along this area of rocks and cliffs with little to no railing is either genius or sadistic! During the day you will find people sunbathing on the rocks. At sunset you will enjoy the view of Lokrum Island as the sun sets over the Adriatic Sea. Note to self: don't drink too much or find yourself in the Sea! And, the Buza Bar is not open in bad weather   located on the other side of the wall in Old Town....Buza I and Buza II. Buza II is more popular. Probably because you have more of a chance of surviving a visit there! Buza I was temporarily closed for awhile because of it being more haphazard. I would have never survived!) |
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| The Pharmacy at the Franciscan Monastery in Old Town creates hand creams and other toiletries based on ancient recipes and is one of the oldest working pharmacies in the world. |
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I stayed just outside the Pile Gate entrance into Old Town at upper terrace of the Hilton. I really liked the hotel, food and location. It's just a 5 minute walk to Pile Gate. |
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| The Old Port shines at night in this beautiful place! |
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| Swimming in the Adriatic Sea is exhilirating! A wee bit chilly even in July, but so beautiful and refreshing! |
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| The view from the Hilton looking over Dubrovnik and Fort Bokar. |
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| Even laundry hangs pretty in the Old Town! |
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| A visit to Lakanta Peskariji makes for an interesting visit if the person going with you is in the mood for fish and you are dreaming of a thick juicy steak. You see, at this restaurant, it may look like one continuous terrace under one restaurant, but you will be handed only one menu with all of their meat offerings on one side of the terrace, and another menu only offering seafood items on another side of the terrace. So, that means no Surf and Turf dishes here! And, no sharing a bite of that yummy seafood your friend may be eating if you've insisted on eating steak because you will be at two different tables! Believe me, I tried to talk them about the meaningless of it all but that's when their understanding of the English language went completely away! |
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| The outside of the seafood menu looks just like the outside of the meat menu. |
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| There are a number of restaurants and cafes to choose from along the cobblestone streets and side streets in the Old Town. You almost cannot go wrong with any place but there are some of my favorites. |
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| Same goes for shops and art galleries. It's not touristy. So there will be no billboards or signs to guide you (which is a beautiful thing). At most you will see an outdoor mannequin or small painted script on hanging lanterns. It's like a treasure hunt, but one I especially love! |
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| Since the streets are small and narrow, often times restaurants will almost flow into each other on the street. Such is the case with Wanda Restaurant which serves wonderful Italian-Mediterranean cuisine. If it weren't for Antonini Restaurante placing a sign on their table, you might not realize you weren't at Wanda's! |
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| You should explore all of the medieval streets and side streets of Old Town to really get the feel. Some people on limited time will take the stairs to the top of the wall surrounding Durbrovnik and walk the wall around the town. I suggest you take the time to walk the wall. It's just over 1 mile around the whole Old Town and it is especially nice around sunset, but you really need to explore the streets within the wall! Try to spend at least 3 days in Dubrovnik. Especially if you want to visit one of the several islands that are near Dubrovnik. |
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| Hotel Stari Grad is a quaint European boutique inside the Old Town. The top floor terrace offers impeccable views of the Old Town. |
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| Another view from the terrace of the Hotel Stari Gard. |
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| Pucic Palace is a 4-story former home of a Noble family. This 5-Star boutique is located on a cafe-lined Square in Old Town. It is one of the best hotels in all of Croatia. There are 17 spacious rooms all decorated with antiques, parquet flooring, and mosaic-tiled bathrooms that are all set amongst in this 19th-century Baroque architecture. |
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| The Terrace and Wine Bar at the Pucic Palace has one of the most extensive wine and cocktail lists in the Old Town. The hotel's restaurant serves eastern Mediterranean cuisine and is a must when looking to have an incredible night of dining. |
Poklisar which has two outdoor terraces at the square at the Old Port overlooking the harbour.
Restaurant Dubravka 1836 at the entrance to Pile Gate just outside the walls of Old Town has great views of the Adriatic Sea and Lovrijenac, Bokar and Minceta. Whether you eat there or not, you might
want to grab a dessert or ice cream next door at their popular snack bar.
Oliva Pizzeria on the Main Square located just before you get to Pucic Palace is a good pizzeria. Modern decor on the inside and the charming location in the medieval town make it a great place to people watch while you dine.
Spagheterria Toni is renowned for its vegetarian and pasta dishes along with wood-fire pizzas.
Porat Restaurant and Terrace just outside of Pile Gate at the Hilton Imperial Hotel serves international and Croatian cuisine. Beautiful Mediterranean interior and expansive outdoor terrace.
Gils located near the Ploce Gate inside the walls of Old Town. A new venue with stunning views of the Old Harbour. Serving ultra-modern French cuisine along with an extensive wine list. Afterwards get your groove on at their lounge bar playing DJ music.
Two things to note:
Croatian wine is quite good and often times less expensive than a coke. Excellent wines come from the Peljesac Peninsula and Konavle. Croatia's other wines are not quite as good as they are from these two regions.
Also, off-season is from November to March so most top-end restaurants, shops and galleries may be closed. Late April to Early October is the prime time to visit just simply so that you can take advantage of sitting at the outdoor cafes amongst the medieval lanes and harbour or for touring nearby islands and beaches.
I'm missing my new love already. Parting Dubrovnik really was such sweet sorrow! Once I dry my tears, I'll send a new post! Take care!
Travel M Girl
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