Dubrovnik is one of the fashionable cities in Europe. The beauty of this town on the Dalmatian coast has crossed borders and is no longer a secret to anyone. Perhaps that is why, in recent years, tourism has increased so much, to the point that there are those who speak of overcrowding.
However, the effort of going to a place full of tourists in a few square meters is worth it when we talk about this World Heritage city in a unique enclave.
In addition, in Dubrovnik we will not only find beautiful stone beaches with a special charm, but also a unique cultural offer for lovers of art and history.
Origin of Dubrovnik
Its name means oak grove and it was given by the large number of trees of this species that formerly existed in the area. In the past it was also known as Ragusa and it lived its time of splendor around 1272 when it was ruled by the aristocracy and the trade in silver alloyed with gold (glama) brought him great benefits on the continent.
Dubrovnik's decline came in 1667 when an earthquake struck the city. Centuries later it suffered the barbarity of war when in the 90's thousands of bombs destroyed almost the entire city. In fact, its wounds have yet to heal but work is being done to restore it to its former shine. In this way, most of its buildings and houses are recent constructions.
Dubrovnik tour
A good idea to start getting to know the city is to walk through its long-lived walls, which are accessed through an entrance located to the north of the town, next to the church of St. Spasa.
These walls date back to the 1.940th century and offer stunning views for a cheap ticket. In total they have a route of 25 meters and their height is 16 meters. In addition, they have XNUMX towers that served as protection against pirate attacks. They were restored in the seventeenth century.
Once the walk through the walls of Dubrovnik is over, it is time to visit its old town. It can be accessed through the Puerta de Pile, which shows the old drawbridge that served as protection to the city. As a curiosity, its exterior is in the Renaissance style and the interior is Gothic.
Going through it you break into Stari Grad, the 'old city'. Then we will go through the most famous street in ancient Ragusa: the Placa or Stradun. In the XNUMXth century this place was a canal that separated two parts of the city but it was filled in to unify the territory. Its characteristic marble pavement is its best known feature.
Dubrovnik cathedral
Baroque-style palaces guide us to Plaza Luza. Nearby are the Sponza Palace and the Church of San Blas which was designed after the model of San Mauricio of Venice.
The Baroque-style Cathedral of the Assumption, together with the Rector's Palace, are also worth a visit. And of course, go to the famous and huge Onofrio Fountain from which only the stone masks are preserved, from which drinking and fresh water emanates.
A few minutes from Dubrovnik is the island of Lokrum, which is a protected nature park. To visit it you have to take a ferry. In this place there are the ruins of a Benedictine abbey that was destroyed by a fatal earthquake in 1667. In addition, you can contemplate the impressive views from the Royal Fort and spend some time in the Natural History Museum. On the island of Lokrum there is even a small nudist cove.
Dubrovnik Card
The Dubrovnik tourist office has created a card called Dubrovnik Card that allows us to visit the most important places in the city saving us a lot of money. In addition to public transport (essential for those who do not stay in the old town of the town) this card includes a visit to the walls, the Maritime Museum, the Rector's Palace, the Natural History Museum, the Dubrovnik Art Gallery and the exclusive advantage of accessing the Clock Tower, from whose balcony you have privileged views of the Placa, the main street of the city.
Depending on the modalities, the Dubrovnik Card has different prices. The one-day card includes public transport and costs € 15,49 (117kn), the three-day card includes ten bus trips and costs € 21,44 (162kn) and the seven-day card includes twenty bus trips and It costs € 26,21 (198kn).
Beaches of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik beaches tend to have coarse sand as the area is very steep and rocky. If you plan to visit the Croatian city in summer, we recommend you visit Gradska Plaza beach which is behind the Ploce Gate next to the Lazaretto to take a bath. However, there are many other beaches in the vicinity.
How to get to Dubrovnik?
There are daily flights that connect Zagreb with Dubrovnik as well as an extensive bus network that connects the city with most of the towns at affordable prices.