There aren’t many places in the world which have such power to fascinate their visitors each and every time they lay eyes on them. It doesn’t mater how many times you have visited Dubrovnik before, the look at the Old Town from a distance will just leave you speechless. And if you are about to do you first Dubrovnik City Break ever, boy you are in for a great treat!
Let us help you with the trip! We are a local agency specialised in tailor-made trips to the Balkan area, including Dubrovnik and the whole Croatia. Contact us to get a quote of your custom-made Dubrovnik City Break.
We can help you with your flights, airport transfers, hotels, local guides and daily excursions from Dubrovnik, either private ones or in groups with other visitors. We are locals and we know all the secrets!
HISTORY OF DUBROVNIK
Dubrovnik has been mesmerising its visitors long before the cruise-ship-masses and Game of Thrones fans started flocking in. One of the most cited reviews was written by Irish playwright and a Nobel Prize laureate George Bernard Shaw who visited Dubrovnik at the beginning of the 20th century and famously nicknamed it “the pearl of the Adriatic”.
But history of Dubrovnik began when the residents of the nearby Greek settlement of Epidarium (modern day Cavtat) fled the invasion of the Slavs in the 7th century. They chose this rock as their new home and named it Lausa. After fortifying the town they were able to fight off enemies more or less successfully until 1205 when the Venetian republic took control and maintain its presence until 1358.
After that the Republic of Ragusa – as Dubrovnik was called in those times – entered a long period of prosperity by keeping good relations with everyone (even the Ottoman empire) and not entering in any serious conflicts. During that “golden age of Dubrovnik” the republic covered the entire Adriatic coast from Pelješac peninsula to modern-day Montenegro, including the islands of Lastovo and Mljet. Three centuries of peace allowed Ragusa’s art and science to flourish until 1667 when a deadly earthquake turned the tables and the republic fell into a decline. In 1808 Napoleon’s army marched into the town and a few years later Dubrovnik area became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
After WWI it has been passed on to the Republic of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which was rebranded as Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after WWII. Dubrovnik took a significant blow during the Croatia‘s war of independence in 1991 and 1992 when it was shelled by the Yugoslav army. But like many times before in history, Dubrovnik got back on its feet and today it shines as one of the most remarkable places in the whole Balkan peninsula.
“Those who seek paradise on earth should come to see Dubrovnik.”
– George Bernard Shaw
DUBROVNIK CITY BREAK: WHAT TO SEE AND DO?
Are you intrigued? Let us fly you over for an unforgettable Dubrovnik City Break. After the landing at the local airport a private driver will take you to a hotel we will book for you according to your wishes and budget. Later your private tour guide will show you around Dubrovnik’s Old Town and let us tell you – there is a lot to see here. Start your visit by entering the walled town through Pile Gate and stroll along the main promenade called Stradun or Placa. Along the way you will pass elegant venetian-style palaces and a large Franciscan Monastery Complex which is know for housing one of the oldest still working pharmacies in the world. At the end of the promenade you can admire the elegant Gothic-Renaissance Rector’s Palace built in the 15th century for the elected ruler of the republic of Ragusa, now home of the Cultural History Museum. Among others notable buildings nearby are the baroque cathedral and the oldest still functioning synagogue in Europe.
GAME OF THRONES ENTHUSIAST?
After the HBO hit series has been filmed here, thousands of fans from all over the world have been wanting to visit the King’s Landing – the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. If you are one of them, we can adjust the tour so that includes all the filming locations: parts of the Red Keep, Blackwater Bay and of course Cersei’s infamous stairs of shame. You can even upgrade your Game of Thrones Tour with a short excursion to the beautiful Trsteno arburetum aka King’s Landing’s gardens just north of Dubrovnik.
Other Hollywood productions partly shot in Dubrovnik are Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Robin Hood (the one starring Taron Egerton). Ask your guide about those locations as well.
After the guided tour you will have some free time for your own exploration of Dubrovnik. Let us recommend you a walk around the spectacular city walls and take in the amazing views of the old town on one site and the azure colours of the Adriatic Sea on the other. You think these views are amazing? You haven’t seen anything yet! To really appreciate Dubrovnik’s beauty you need to see it from the top of Mount Srđ reachable by a convenient cable car. From there you can really enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the town’s red roofs, the blue Adriatic Sea and the lush Lokrum Island in the distance. Once back you can try to find a spot on one of the town’s small pebble beaches, drink a coffee in the old harbour or take a short boat ride to Lokrum island just off the coast. Legend has it that king Richard the Lionheart was shipwrecked in 1192 after returning home from the crusades and was cast safely ashore on Lokrum.
DAILY EXCURSIONS FROM DRUBROVNIK
Since Dubrovnik is a small town, one or two full days are enough to cover it. Therefore we invite you to explore its surroundings and join one of our various excursions in private or in a group. Our agents will be happy to give you all the information on the optional tours. Here are some of the recommendations:
One of the most popular daily excursions from Dubrovnik is a trip to the peninsula of Pelješac – a renown red win production area – and the island of Korčula, arguably the birthplace of Marco Polo. On the way will also make a pit stop at the medieval village of Ston to admire the longest still standing stone wall in Europe (5,50 km). How about that?
Another popular daily excursion from Dubrovnik is the magnificent Bay of Kotor in the neighbouring country of Montenegro, often described as Europe’s most southern fjord. There you’ll visit two nicely preserved Venetian towns Kotor and Perast. Just a few hundred meters offshore lie two picturesque islands you can visit on a short boat tour from Perast. One of them, named Our Lady of the Rocks, was artificially created in the 15th century around a rock where Virgin Mary appeared.
Expand your Dubrovnik City Break with daily excursions or a week-long tour of Croatia
Another neighbouring country you can visit on a daily excursion from Dubrovnik is Bosnia & Herzegovina. The most obvious choice would be the picturesque town of Mostar famous for its turbulent history and the legendary Old Bridge connecting two ethnic groups across the green river Neretva. On the way you can make a short stop at the pilgrimage centre of Medjugorje or at the spectacular Kravice Waterfalls.
Another interesting Bosnian town, just an hour from Dubrovnik is Trebinje – a more quiet place where you can escape the crowds and really enjoy your coffee in the shade of a walled old town.
There are also boat tours to the charming Elafiti islands and Mljet National Park. Each of the two destinations can be visited on a daily excursion from Dubrovnik. Elafiti is an archipelago of 14 islands, but only three are inhabited (Šipan, Lopud and Koločep). It’s up to you to decide which one is the prettiest. Meanwhile Mljet is the greenest dalmatian island partly protected as a national park. Especially interesting are the two saltwater lakes and there is a small island with a Benedictine monastery on one of them.
EXPLORE AREAS BEYOND DUBROVNIK
Don’t want to go home yet? There is a lot more that Croatia can offer. Further north you can visit country’s second largest city of Split, best know as a place where Roman Emperor Diocletian choose to retire and built a now UNESCO-recognised palace. There are natural wanders of Krka and Plitvice National Parks and numerous other historic towns such as Trogir, Šibenik and Zadar. Why don’t expand the trip all the way to capital of Zagreb? You can do that with our pre-prepared Perls of Croatia itinerary which runs from south to north or vice versa. It’s totally up to you! Get in touch with us and we will prepare a tailor-made itinerary of Croatia and other Balkan countries just for you!
Throw in the mix other neighbouring countries like Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina or Montenegro and treat yourself to a Grand Balkan Tour that you can do with us in two weeks. Our professional driver guides will take you across five countries of ex-Yugoslavia and show you all the beauties as well as explain you the rough history of the Balkan peninsula and the relations between its nations.
FANCY A CRUISE?
And of course then there are the islands! Dubrovnik is a great starting point to discover the Dalmatian islands on a small cruise ship. There are weekly departures from Dubrovnik to Split or even further north to Zadar, Opatija and Poreč. Some of them even do the circular route and return to Dubrovnik.
Check out our wide selection of seven-night cruises on luxury or standard ships. Most of our guests claim this is truly the best way to visit all the main Croatian islands (Korčula, Hvar, Mljet, Brač, Vis, ect.) without having to change hotels. The packages include accommodation, half board and sightseeing tours. To get more information about this small ship cruises which only carry up to 40 passengers contact us at ➨ info@ekorna.net.
As you can see the options are limitless. Do you need more information? We are here for you to prepare the best tailor-made itinerary of your Dubrovnik City Break and beyond. Visit Croatia with local experts, we know all the secrets.
