Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Life within the walls.

The orange hits first. After hours behind the wheel of a compact European car — through streets clogged with as many pedestrians as cars —one final turn reveals the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. You can’t help but be stunned (physically) by the way the light jumps at you off the orange roofs, and then the way it’s suddenly gone as you turn into the shadow that the magnificent wall casts over the bridge leaving up to the one overcrowded entrance. It’s an actual walled city, and any Game of Throne fan could get lost drinking up the astounding ‘King’s landing’. Fan or not, if you could block out the modern storefronts and packs of tourists, you wouldn’t know you were in the 21st century.

Ancient roofs seamlessly blend with satellite dishes, medieval watch towers stand with Coca-Cola billboards, modernly dressed locals flow around incredible monuments — everything about this city should clash, but yet it’s so perfect. The two juxtaposing eras coexist impossibly and inseparably.

And there you are, drinking in everything it has to offer. With a number of decently priced apartments (available mostly through Air BnB), you are completely immersed in life within the walls.

Unfortunately, the beauty this city holds is far from undiscovered, as cruise ships dump their excited passengers into this city daily, causing a swell of around 10,000 people from 9 am until roughly 6 pm. While inconvenient, with a little planning and local recommendations, you can avoid the crowds and still see everything Dubrovnik has to offer.

There are three things everyone must do: walk the walls, climb the mountain, and visit the island.

The walls are by far the most beautiful and over-touristed part of the city. A decent experience requires you to be willing to wake up early and walk a lot. By getting to the walls by 7 or 8 am, you can beat most of the hoard of cruiser members and take your time to enjoy the astounding views the wall offers.

The mountain that overlooks the city is another must-see. Yielding unparalleled views of both old town, the surrounding metropolitan, and chain s of distant islands, this is another location that is best experienced in peace. Once again, if you can buy tickets and board the cable car that takes you to the peak before the cruise’s dock, you get a borderline spiritual experience.

Finally, a small island — just a 5 minute ferry ride away — offers an afternoon activity. Many cruise passengers do not choose to visit the island, so it is reasonably under-crowded. With spots to swim off of and yet more great views, it’s a perfect spot to wait out the tourist surge.

One activity not widely known but incredible nonetheless is cliff diving. If you can find your way through the narrow backstreets, out a small door in the wall, and down some steep steps, you can find the gem that is the Exit Rock Café. It’s a bar, cafe, and cliff diving location, all in one. While thrill seekers throw themselves off of a cliff measuring at least 15 meters tall, the more relaxed among them can either watch with a drink in their hand or walk to the bottom of the cliff and swim right off the wall. By far the best activity for early evening as the light fades but is still there. The feeling of a whole bar cheering you on as you work up the courage to take the plunge is amazing, but can’t compare to the feeling of falling unthinkably fast into pleasantly cold water. It’s a shock you’ll never forget.

Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring cities I have ever seen, even amidst the overwhelming tourism, it’s a city that I believe could leave anybody speechless.