Hi peeps!
I'm currently binge re-watching the famous series Game of Thrones. I'm a big fan of this series, and luckily, I have a chance to visit King's Landing in real life, which is Dubrovnik - a city of Croatia. For those who did not watch this series, King's Landing is where the iron throne is located, and it is the center of the plot as well as the reason for most absurd wars in the movie.
Game of Thrones is one of the reasons that makes Dubrovnik become so popular. This TV series of HBO was responsible for 10% of the tourism's annual growth in the city. Besides, the city is also famous because of its beauty and history. Before the pandemic, Dubrovnik was always one of the most overcrowding cities in Europe, and filled with tourists.
( Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-made-dubrovnik-so-popular-tourists-will-be-limited-2017-8)
Fortunately, the city was not very crowded when I was there, since I visited it when there were still a lot of restrictions due to the COVID-19. Thus, I could completely immerse in the beauty of the city without being disturbed by other visitors.
Dubrovnik's Old Town, the center of the city. There are numerous attractions there so it took me almost 3 days to explore the whole Old Town.
Stunning sunset in Dubrovnik
I love places that have a unique and signature architecture and Dubrovnik is one of them. Dubrovnik's Old Town is protected by the city walls, which is one of the most famous things in Dubrovnik. Inside the walls, there are houses and buildings that were built in Baroque style. In fact, the city used to have many Gothic and Renaissance artwork and architecture, a catastrophic earthquake in 1667, however, destroyed almost all of these works. The only Gothic and Renaissance architectures that survived after the disaster are the Sponza, Rector's palace, and Revelin fortress. (Retrieved from https://wallsofdubrovnik.com/dubrovnikwalls-forts-gates-entrances/). The city walls, and other attractions in Old Town usually require an admission fee and they can be very expensive. For example, the ticket to visit city walls at the time I visited (2021) is 200 kn (around 27 eur) per adult, but you can buy it with an ISIC student card for only 50kn (around 7 eur). (Retrived from https://dubrovnikwalks.com/our-tours/walls-and-wars/)
Thanks to the ISIC card, I saved a lot of money during the trip.
The old town is full of pretty houses and stairs
A part of Rector's palace on the right corner of the photo
Film roll used: Vibe 400
The Franciscan Monastery
A pic of entire Old Town taken from Mount Srđ
Dubrovnik also has a street market in the Old Town that is open every morning. This open-air market has numerous stalls that sell seasonal fruit, olive oil and other local products. (Retrieved from https://www.dubrovnik-travel.net/gunduliceva-poljana-open-air-market-in-dubrovnik-old-town/) Make sure you visit the market because it is a great experience.
The street market in the morning
When it comes to Dubrovnik's cuisine, I have 2 restaurants that I think you have to try when you are in the city. The first one is Bota Oyster & Sushi Bar, the place serves incredibly delicious food and a great atmosphere. Besides, the staff are excellent. However, you may want to reserve a table in advance as the restaurant is usually fully booked.
I'm so in love with the restaurant even when I'm not a big fan of sushi
The second restaurant is Pizzeria Mamma Margherita. Italian food, in general, is yummy in Dubrovnik but this pizza place was really great. This is one of the best pizza restaurants that I've been to. Besides, the price is also affordable in comparison with other places in Old Town.
I did not have this at the restaurant and this was just a quick pic
Please check the location written in the pic and come there. This place really has the best gelato in Dubrovnik
As I mentioned, Dubrovnik can be very crowded because of over-tourism, especially on days when big cruise ships arrive in the city. However, if you want to enjoy the city with fewer people, you can check the port schedule of Dubrovnik to see how many visitors may come to the city in a day. Then, you will be able to avoid days with the arrival of big cruise ships that have more than 1000 passengers on them. This is a tip that my friends told me and it is really helpful. Thanks to this I had some days enjoying the Old Town without a flock of other tourists. On the third day of my trip in Dubrovnik, these giant cruise ships came and the Old Town became super crowded.
The crowd in Stradun (Old Town's main street) when the ships arrive.
Despite the fact that the city is full of visitors, this is still a great place for vacation. The beauty of it is undeniable and the food is scrumptious. Besides, the tap water is clean, drinkable, wifi is free in the Old Town, and there are cheap buses that go to every main attraction in the city. All of these elements make Dubrovnik one of the most popular destinations in travellers' bucket lists.
That's all for today's blog.
Stay tuned! I will be back with a post about beaches and islands in this beautiful coastal city.