Dubrovnik and Beyond

By Jeanne Oliver

Croatia Traveller's Dubrovnik and Beyond is
your essential travel companion to the hidden
wonders of the Dubrovnik region. Marvel at
Dubrovnik's ancient stone walls, gates and
sculpted monuments. Sail away to woodsy Mljet to
bask on the beach or discover the cultural
highlights of Mostar and Montenegro. Take a wine
tour of the Peljesac peninsula, feast on oysters
in Ston, discover Dubrovnik's fascinating Jewish
heritage or explore the filming locations for
Game of Thrones. With up-to-date details on what
to see and how to see it, this guide makes travel
planning a breeze and your trip to Dubrovnik a delight.

HERE'S WHAT YOU GET:

22 full-color images
temperature and precipitation information and charts
festivals and events
suggested itineraries in and around Dubrovnik
6 full-color maps
walking tours of Dubrovnik's walls and Old Town
getting to and from Dubrovnik airport
bus routes, durations and companies
ferry routes, durations and companies
driving times and parking information
opening hours and prices of all Dubrovnik's sights
cultural, architectural, historic and artistic background on all sights
Croatian language section with 20 helpful
phrases, pronunciation guide, numbers, days and months
all about mobile phones, useful numbers and getting online
which neighborhoods are best to stay in for families, nightlife, day trips
description, location and contact information for all Dubrovnik's hotels
the best bars, clubs and discos in Dubrovnik
where to take the kids
the best restaurants for local specialties
where the locals eat
where the locals shop
how to avoid "cruiser crush" when the Old Town is crammed with tourists

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I first started traveling to Dubrovnik in 1996
and have been returning regularly ever since. In
addition to my website, Croatia Traveller, I have
written five guidebooks on Croatia and one on Dubrovnik.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeanne Oliver
• Release date: Feb 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310826139

Jeanne Oliver

Jeanne is a professional travel writer who has been reporting about European destinations regularly since 1996. She has written guidebooks about France, Croatia, Greece, Germany, Slovenia, Belgium and the Netherlands for Lonely Planet, Frommer's and Insight Guides. Her travel articles have appeared in the Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, St Petersburg Times, the Denver Post, National Geographic Traveler and the New York Post.Jeanne caught the wanderlust bug at an early age by reading the New York Times Travel section which inspired dreams of foreign adventure. She's boated the Amazon, photographed the gorillas of Rwanda, trekked the Pantanal, and camped in the Sahara. She now publishes travel websites: croatiatraveller.com, frenchrivieratraveller.com and riviera-beaches.com

Book preview

CONTENTS

TITLE

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

GETTING STARTED

Map of Croatia

Introduction to Dubrovnik

When to Go

Orientation

Map of Greater Dubrovnik

Top Sights

Planning

SIGHTS

Map of Old Town

Walls

Rector's Palace

Dominican Monastery

Franciscan Monastery

Cathedral

Saint Blaise Church

Sponza Palace

Stradun Walk

Gates

Fort Lovrijenac

Synagogue

Other Churches

Other Museums

Srđ Hill

Beaches

Lokrum Island

Game of Thrones Sights

FUN

Beaches

Nightlife

Shopping

Kids

Sports

DAY TRIPS

Map of Day Trips

Introduction

Cavtat

Dubrovnik Riviera

Map of Dubrovnik Riviera

Elaphiti Islands

Konavle

Map of Konavle

Korčula Town

Mljet Island

Montenegro

Mostar

Pelješac Peninsula

Trsteno

ACCOMMODATION

Introduction

Where to Stay

Old Town

Ploče

Lapad

Babin Kuk

Gruž

Airport

DINING

Overview

Specialties

Restaurants

HISTORY

Rise and Fall

Bombing of Dubrovnik

Reconstruction

ESSENTIALS

Arrival

Business Hours

Cruise Ships

Holidays

Internet

Money

Mobile Phones

Phone Calls & Codes

Safety

Tourist Information & Maps

Tours

Transport

Bus Map

LANGUAGE

FURTHER RESOURCES

MAP DOWNLOADS

FEEDBACK

Croatia Traveller's

DUBROVNIK

and Beyond

2019

Jeanne Oliver

Smashwords Edition

©2019 Jeanne Oliver

All rights reserved.

Copyright

This guide was published by the author, Jeanne Oliver. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form by any means without the express permission of the author. This includes reprints, excerpts, photocopying, recording, or any future means of reproducing text. If you would like to do any of the above, please seek permission first by contacting me at www.croatiatraveller.com/Contact.htm.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Dubrovnik and Beyond is designed to give you all the information you need to make the most of your visit to the pearl of the Adriatic in a fun, easy-to-use format. I've been travelling to and writing guides about Dubrovnik for the last 20 years and I'm excited to share all that I've learned. Whether before, during or after your trip, Dubrovnik and Beyond is practical and inspiring with everything from pictures and maps to opening hours, prices, phone numbers and historical tales.

When the trip is nothing more than an idea, take a look at When to Go for advice on your initial plans. How much time should you spend in Dubrovnik? Take a look at the Top Sights and Planning for suggested itineraries. Don't forget to budget time for day trips. Whether it's a short hop to the islands or a wine tour of the Pelješac peninsula, I've given detailed up-to-date advice on how to arrange it. In the Accommodation chapter find out where and what kind of accommodation is right for you, followed by descriptions and contact information for all Dubrovnik hotels. Take a look at the Essentials chapter before leaving for details on money, getting around, tourist information offices and other practical matters.

When you're actually in Dubrovnik this guide is invaluable. Follow a walking tour of Dubrovnik's walls, or a walking tour of the monuments and museums along Stradun or a walk that takes in the filming locations in Game of Thrones. Detailed historical information on Dubrovnik's main churches, museums, monasteries and monuments enlivens and enriches your appreciation of this splendid city. And you'll relax in style with recommendations for the best restaurants, bars, beaches and shops.

Nothing beats an e-reader for convenience. No more heavy books to lug around! And, as travel books on e-readers have become commonplace, it's become easier to fine-tune the navigation to make the reader experience more intuitive and pleasurable. Unlike guides that have been repurposed from a print format, Dubrovnik and Beyond was specially created for your e-reader.

In this guide, I've made heavy use of internal links to enable you to jump around and find information as you would on a website. Internal links are underlined as you would expect. Then, return to where you were by pressing or tapping the back button. All external links are clearly indicated so you know when a data connection is required.

Each of the guide's chapters is divided into subjects. The table of contents lists the chapters and subjects and the subjects are listed at the beginning of each chapter. At the end of each subject a link will take you back to the chapter. So you always know where you are!

One of the beauties of the e-reader format is that you can easily extract information to make your own personalized itinerary. Simply make use of the notes and bookmark functions to highlight the places that most appeal to you.

Maps

I have included maps at the beginning of each relevant chapter and accessible from the table of contents. Yet, for technical reasons, maps have limited functionality in e-readers. Maps are best in either a zoomable pdf format or printed out. For that reason, I have given readers free access to all the maps in this book in full-color pdf ready to be printed out or stored on your device. Click here for more.

©2019 Jeanne Oliver

All rights reserved.

Copyright

This guide was published by the author, Jeanne Oliver. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form by any means without the express permission of the author. This includes reprints, excerpts, photocopying, recording, or any future means of reproducing text. If you would like to do any of the above, please seek permission first by contacting me at www.croatiatraveller.com/Contact.htm.

GETTING STARTED

Introduction to Dubrovnik

When to Go

Orientation

Top Sights

Planning

Introduction to Dubrovnik

A stay in Dubrovnik may well be the highlight of your Adriatic holiday as it is mine. Dubrovnik is Croatia's top sight, a World Heritage Site, and its most visited destination, as well it should be. Lord Byron arrived in the 19th century and promptly baptized Dubrovnik the pearl of the Adriatic. George Bernard Shaw arrived in 1929 and declared, If you want to see paradise on earth, come to Dubrovnik.

Whether pearl or paradise, Dubrovnik clearly inspires poetry. The gleaming marble streets are lined with baroque buildings punctuated by beautifully sculpted fountains and facades. Surrounding them are the towers and bastions of Dubrovnik's walls, the most intact and impressive in the Adriatic. From the top of the walls the Adriatic stretches into the horizon, the glittering sea dotted with verdant islands. There's an ineffable magic to the waves lapping against Dubrovnik's ancient stones. No wonder the HBO series Game of Thrones used it as a stand-in for the mythical Kings Landing!

But Dubrovnik is more than a fascinating Old Town with an ancient history. It's also a first class Adriatic resort. Stretching out from the historical center is a network of beaches to laze away the day in the sun. Offshore, there's a handful of wooded islands and a National Park that make easy day trips. And the array of cafes, bars and clubs in and around the Old Town insure that Dubrovnik at night is never dull.

Dubrovnik is also a cultural hub. With a population of less than 43,000, it's a measure of Dubrovnik's devotion to culture that it can support its own symphony orchestra. Classical theatre is regularly staged in the Marin Držić theater and there is a year-round concert schedule. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival is the musical highlight of the year attracting a full program of international musicians. There's also a pride in traditions that is easily apparent in Dubrovnik's local festivals and religious ceremonies such as February's St Blaise Festival celebrating the town's patron saint.

Did you know?

Dubrovnik was one of the very first countries to recognize the United States. Historical sources put the date of recognition anywhere from 1776 to 1801.

Dubrovnik was a city-state that once rivaled Venice in wealth and power. It reached its apogee during the 15th century and attracted the finest sculptors and architects to adorn the city center in a Renaissance style. Alas, the golden age ended with the earthquake of 1667 but the resilient city rebuilt, this time in a sober baroque style. Its decline as a naval power soon gave way to its rise as a tourist destination even as early as the 19th century. By the 20th century Dubrovnik was the tourist highlight of former Yugoslavia. All ended with the bombing of Dubrovnik in 1991 which horrified the world. With help from the international community, the damage was largely repaired by the end of the decade and now Dubrovnik is again the one unmissable stop on any Adriatic itinerary. See more about Dubrovnik history.

Back to Getting Started

When to Go

Climate

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Spring

As a living, breathing city, Dubrovnik has a full menu of activities and pleasures all year round. There is no wrong season to visit Dubrovnik; each season has its pleasures. A walk on Dubrovnik's famous walls can be memorably moody in winter, glorious in spring and autumn and sun-baked in the summer. The rich architectural heritage of the Old Town is always on display and Dubrovnik's museums are open all year.

CLIMATE

With a Mediterranean climate, Dubrovnik has hot dry summers and rainy winters. Snow is extremely rare. As the charts below indicate, if it's beach weather you're after June to September are the most reliably warm and sunny months. In May and October there are usually enough pleasant days to integrate an afternoon at the beach into your schedule. As for the rest of the year, a beach day would be a rare and special experience.

SUMMER

June through September are Dubrovnik's busiest months as cruise ships chug in and out of the harbors with thousands of passengers, international flights keep Dubrovnik's airport busy and the streets of the Old Town are jammed with sightseers. It's an exciting season but you'll have a better experience if you sightsee when the cruise passengers don't. Here's how.

Festival Fun

The Dubrovnik Summer Festival is what keeps the Old Town young every summer. During July and August, concerts of all sorts take place nearly every night in venues around town while every place with a stage hosts a play or two. The most prestigious is the traditional production of Hamlet staged at Fort Lovrijenac. See the Dubrovnik Summer Festival website (www.dubrovnik-festival.hr) for schedules and tickets.

Did you know?

Goran Visnjic got his big break in show business playing Hamlet at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. Originally cast as the understudy, he took over the role when the lead actor withdrew. Visnjic returned to play Hamlet at