Crazy Tourist – 15 Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik

  Walk the City Walls

• Walk early to beat the crowds
• It will take an hour or so to make the full circuit along the battlements
• if you watch Game of Thrones you’ll recognise several locations.

St. John Fortress  Entry fee $AUD $38.80

• Part of the city walls, St John Fortress is on the southeastern side of the defences protecting Dubrovnik’s port.
• For hundreds of years Dubrovnik was vulnerable to pirate raids, so they came up with a smart deterrent. When the warning was sent out they’d lift a heavy metal chain that ran from this fortress to the Kase Jetty in the port to damage ships.
• inside the tower you can visit a small aquarium on the first floor and then head upstairs to the browse the maritime museum.

Walk the old town

•  Placa is old Dubrovnik’s main street
• you’ll notice that nearly all of these buildings share the same floor plan, and that’s because of a citywide decree on building designs following an earthquake and fire in the 17th century.

Cable Car – Adults: €14.60 one-way / €26.54 return

Lovrijenac Fort

• Lovrijenac earned its place in the city’s folklore during the long period of tussles with the Venetians.
• The invaders had attempted to built an outpost here as part of their campaign to take the city, but the locals beat them to it, erecting this fortress in just three months at the start of the 11th century.

Orlando’s Column

• At the eastern end of Placa, right in front of the Church of St. Blaise is this stone column and flagpole that dates to the 1400s, and is a meeting point at the heart of the old town.
• The medieval knight depicted on the column is Orlando, who its claimed helped defend the Republic of Ragusa during a 15 month-long Saracen siege in the 800s, allowing Dubovnik to retain its status as a free trade city state.

Sea Kayaking from AUD $58pp, Sailing, Motor boat with driver $79pp – snorkelling and welcome drink included

Day trip from Dubrovnik:

Korcula

• Korcula is genuinely like something out of a fairytale.
• This walled town is in fact the birthplace of Marco Polo.
• Steeped in history and now home to a thriving wine industry there is a lot to explore and even more to enjoy on Korcula Island.
• PacktheSuitcases.com things to do in Korcula
  • It’s got a medieval old town full of flower-lined alleyways
  • famous for the uniquely Korculan ‘Grk’ wine
  • Korcula Town, is known as ‘Little Dubrovnik’. I think that’s doing it a disservice. It does have the same architecture and charm but it’s far less touristy and crowded, and thus much more enjoyable…and cheaper
  • Walk the town – The old town is laid out fishbone-style, with angled side streets coming off the main drag. This is so that the breeze can pass through easily and cool the stones of all the buildings. Korcula is known for always having a bit of a breeze, good on a hot day, not so on a cold day.
  • Moreska sword dance 
    • It tells the story of two kings at war and a princess, who has been captured and enslaved by one king who claims he loves her. Needless to say, enslavement wasn’t the best first date so she wants to go home to the other king, who she was going out with. Everyone has a massive barney about it but, eventually, there’s a happy ending.
    • You can get tickets at the Kaleta travel agency just outside the town walls (Google Maps link). They’re 100 kuna per person (about 12.50€). The performance is on every Monday and Thursday at 9pm. You need to arrive at 8.30pm if you want a good seat. It’s in an atmospheric open-air theatre, all lit up with torches.
    • Top tip: It really helps if you know what they’re singing about. Unless you speak Croatian, make sure you pick up a bit of paper with an English translation of the lyrics on as you go in. They’re on the lectern thing in the middle of the stage. No one tells you to do this! Well, other than me right now.
  • Have a cocktail at Massimo see image below Google link to location
    • It’s a bar on top of a 15th-century tower right on the edge of the sea, with a fantastic panoramic view.
    • You have to climb a ladder onto the roof and your drinks arrive via a pulley system with a tray.
    • I’d recommend getting there just as it opens at 4pm so that you can get to sit on the walls. If you’re on one of the tables in the middle, it’s a bit of a waste as you can’t see the view. Everyone seems to like going for sunset but this means it’s massively crowded later on and you’ll struggle to get a spot.
    • Enjoy going back down the ladder after a few cocktails. It should be classed as an extreme sport.
  • Try some local Makaruni pasta
    • try Makaruni, traditional homemade pasta from the island.
    • Makaruni pasta is made from dough cut into bite-size pieces, which is then hand-rolled around a wooden skewer. The process apparently takes a long time and a lot of patience. I can confirm it pays off because it’s delicious.
    • Makaruni is originally from the little village of Zrnovo, just south of Korcula Town. The village even hosts a Makaruni festival every August. But you can find it in restaurants all over the island. The best I’ve had was at Konoba Mirakul (Google Maps link).
  • Mariola Wine Bar is new but very good. Try the the trio of bruschetta with your wine – Get the anchovy bruschetta – image below
  • Grk Wine
    • Nowhere else in the world grows the grapes and produces Grk
  • Marco Polo was allegedly born here but no-one really know where he was born – there is a house here where he was born, so they say.