Dubrovnik & Beyond the Wall
In my opinion, this is a well-deserved top 10 tourist spot in the world. Although initially sceptical of visiting and uncertain of the experience, I was soon converted upon landing in this beautiful part of the European continent. This is part one which covers Dubrovnik, surrounding spots as well as Montenegro. Part two (in a separate posts) will cover Northern Croatia.
Dubrovnik is your ideal starting point & base from the South. Finding good value accommodation will be challenging as you should expect to pay premium rates to be within walking distance to Dubrovnik old town. I would highly recommend it as it offers the option of exploring the old town at all times of the day — especially during dusk when majority of the tour groups vacate to their accommodation outside of the city.
We chose to stay at the Grand Villa Argentina which is about a 10 minute walk away from the old town. The hotel is a 5 star property and it’s rooms offer basic facilities but their pool deck boasts sweeping views of the harbour and the old town. One of the highlights has to be their breakfast service where you can enjoy an amazing view of the harbour and the Dubrovnik old town. That’s something worth getting up for every morning.
Let’s start with the must visit spots in Dubrovnik and beyond the wall. The walled city of Dubrovnik is an extremely unique destination. It is a must visit. The old town is entirely walk-able with plenty of shops, restaurants and attractions to visit. Of course, when you visit the old town, you will explore the alleyways and main streets but the key attraction is to visit the wall.
The Dubrovnik old town wall is defensive stone wall built from the 7th century, with a maximum height of 25 meters and covers an uninterrupted distance of 1.9 kilometres. Word of advice — if you’re visiting during the summer months, choose your time of visit wisely — else you may find yourself literally melting under the Adriatic heat. During June, when we visited, was boiling hot and that wasn’t even in the height of summer. Make sure you take lots of water with you. The entire walk can take up to 1.5 hours or longer to appreciate the different vantage points along the way. My recommendation is to start from Pile Gate and go around anti-clockwise — given it’s a one way system, you won’t get lost. Keep your ticket as there’s ticket check points along the way so don’t get caught out. Be prepared for fantastic shots and if you’re a Game of Thrones fan, plenty of great locations from the TV series visible from the wall.
Korcula is one of the most beautiful and romantic old town islands on the coast of Croatia which is accessible via ferry (or car ferry). The island itself has a beautiful old town with restaurants and shops for you to explore. Make sure you take the time to climb the clock tower in the centre of town and check out the amazing 360 degree view from the top. The shops and restaurants all have an unique character about them. In addition to enjoying the old town from within, you must take a few minutes to walk out from the old town and snap a photo or two from afar. It’s simply amazing as the old town floats above the crystal clear water. I would argue the view is even more beautiful and surreal then Dubrovnik old town and comparable with the likes of Venice.
Getting to Korcula from Dubrovnik will take about 2 hours via car journey and 30 minutes on a car ferry. Put Korcula on your GPS and you will be effortlessly guided there. A day trip from Dubrovnik plus a 4 hour return trip is a big investment so the good thing is that there’s lots of other pit stops along the way for you to explore. The town of Korcula has a variety of attractions for you to visit. You can spend an hour or a day and it is completely up to you.
One of the most pleasantly surprising visit is spending a day in Montenegro. Having a rental vehicle means that you have the freedom and ability to explore the coast at your own pace. Initially sceptical, but quickly converted into an absolute fan of this place. A drive into Montenegro is an absolutely must. Montenegro and Croatia are both countries with very recent scars from their conflicts and it is an experience to visit both and observe their culture, people and food. The crossing of the border from Croatia to Montenegro was an experience. Be prepared for a queue at the border. We had to queue for about 45 minutes getting into Montenegro and about 20 minutes leaving. What’s confusing is that not only do you need to leave Croatia, you will have to enter Montenegro which doubles the amount of queue time. The point here is that, yes, there’s still some maturing for the border police and expect a bit of a wait but what awaits you on the other side is worthwhile. Here’s why.
Old Town Kotor — This is a wonderfully triangular walled city and old town resting beneath the majestic mountain side. The setting is spectacular and an excellent pit stop for lunch during your day trip to Montenegro from Dubrovnik. It is free to enter and visit the old town. Similar to Korcula, there are plenty of shops and restaurants to explore. To properly appreciate the geography and layout of this walled city, it is worth climbing to the top of the mountain side for the stunning view (see picture below). We did it in the middle of June so it was an absolute killer due to the heat but it was worth it. Bring water.
Old Town Budva — Further along into Montenegro, you will pass the Old Town of Budva. Compared to Dubrovnik, it is unpolished as it is not as well maintained. When you wonder around, you will find the majority of the tourists being Easter European & Russian and the common foreign language is not English. Compared with Dubrovnik, it is extremely affordable in terms of food & beverage. Take the time to visit the Citadella and the restaurant at the Citadella. See restaurant recommendations for further information.
Aman Seveti Stefan — The final surprising find in Montenegro is visiting the Private Resort Island of Seveti Stefan. It is an old fort converted into a luxury resort. You can visit the beaches and area around the island but in order to enter the island, you must either be a resident guest or visiting the restaurant. I would highly recommend going for lunch or dinner as the setting looked amazing. If you’re just visiting, there’s a nice walk around the coast as you get a couple of great vantage point of the island as well as adjacent bays. There’s two separate beaches, one designated for the resort residents while the other is completely open and free for the public (which includes deck chairs and umbrellas).
http://www.amanresorts.com/amansvetistefan/resort.aspx
Our visit to Montenegro was again a day trip so there was a few planned stops and a few accidental and surprising finds. Leave early and you can make the most of a full day. When you arrive at Kotor, use the paid parking right outside the main entrance of Kotor as you won’t get better parking location. It costs about £1.00 per hour so it’s worth it for the location and convenience. Something we didn’t appreciate until we returned was that you can enjoy the long scenic drive (roughly 1.5 hours) from Dubrovnik to Kotor and beyond but if you’re short on time, take the car ferry. That will shave at least an hour of your drive and let you focus on the great attractions.
With all that sightseeing, you will be equally surprised with the dining options on the Adriatic Coast. Here are the highlights.
Nautica — A surprising find within 1 minute walk of Pile Gate from Old Town Dubrovnik. The outdoor restaurant has great views of the enclosed harbour area where you can see a Game Of Thrones filming location. Good selection of food and service overall. And they serve hands down the most amazing grilled squid ever. Make sure when you visit, you’re visiting Nautica which is in the open area and not the restaurant inside the building as you will notice a significant difference in pricing.
Giles is another surprising find right in the middle of Dubrovnik old town. One would expect that many of these restaurants would be considered as ‘tourist’ traps but Giles was a wonderful find. Situated in one of the narrow and beautiful alley ways off the main boulevard, the restaurant served beautiful French influenced menu. The stand out was their steak selection and again hands down one of the best steak I have ever had. The friendly service was commendable also. However, as the evening become busier, the personal and friendly service was less evident. But nonetheless, definitively worth a visit and perhaps enjoy your dinner earlier to make the most of the atmosphere and experience.
Citadella at Budva — During our day visit to Montenegro, we concluded our visit in Old Town Budva and wondered to the fortress near the sea. What started as a late afternoon drink turned into a delicious three course dinner experience. The location of the restaurant offered unbeatable views across the harbour high up from the fort/citadella. The menu was impressively creative and aesthetically beautiful to consume with your eyes and mouth. Again, the service was personal and attentive.
Dubrovnik and the surrounding region is one the definite stand-out vacations in Europe. Fantastic sightseeing and attractions and beautiful food/dining options. I would highly recommend for anyone considering Dubrovnik to visit sooner rather than later.
