Dubrovnik Overview

Lord Byron considered Dubrovnik (du-BROV-nik; pop. 43,800) “the pearl of the Adriatic,” and George Bernard Shaw knew it as “Paradise on Earth.” Although it’s tough to live up to such adulation, a stroll through the torch-lit winding lanes of the Stari Grad (Old Town) and a sunset look into the sea from the city walls certainly justify Dubrovnik’s reputation as Croatia’s top destination.

Transportation And Practical Information. Jadrolinija ferries (☎020 41 80 00; www.jadrolinija.hr) depart opposite Obala S. Radića 40 for: Korčula (3hr., 5 per week, €10-12); Rijeka (21hr., 2 per week, €29-34); Split (8.5hr., 3 per wk., €14.50-17.50); Bari, ITA (8hr., 6 per week, €40-55). The Jadrolinija office is opposite the dock. (Open M, W 7am-11pm; T 8am-11pm; Th-F 8am-8pm; Sa 7am-8pm; Su 8am-2:30pm and 5pm-9pm.) Buses (☎020 30 50 70) run from Obala Pape Ivana Pavla II, 44A, to: Rijeka (12hr., 4 per day, 415kn); Split (4hr., 1 per hr., 132kn); Zagreb (11hr., 9-10 per day, 234kn); Trieste, ITA (15hr., 1 per day, 370kn). There’s luggage storage at the station (open daily 4:30am-10:30pm; 5kn per bag for 1hr.; after 1hr. 1.50kn per bag per hr).

If, like most budget travelers, you’re staying in either Babin Kuk or Lapad, where a number of accommodations are located, a daypass will be your best bet for frequent shuttling back and forth from the Old Town. (8kn at kiosks, 10kn on board. Ticket valid for 1hr. after stamped. Daypass 25kn.) To get to the Old Town’s central tourist information office, Široka 1, from the Pile Gate, walk straight along Placa (Stradun) and turn right on Široka. (☎020 32 35 87; www.tzdubrovnik.hr. Open daily 8am-8pm.) On the same street, the post office, Široka 8, has ATMs and public telephones; it also offers Western Union services. (☎020 32 34 27. Open M-F 7:30am-9pm, Sa 10am-5pm.) Postal Code: 20108.

Accommodations And Food. A private room tends to be the cheapest and most comfortable option for two; arrange one through any of the indistinguishable agencies or bargain with locals at the station (doubles should go for 100-150kn per person). Take bus #6 from Stari Grad or #7 from the ferry and bus terminals, get off two stops past the Lapad post office, cross the street, walk uphill on Mostarska, and turn right at Dubravkina to reach   Apartmani Burum , Dubravkina 16, in Babin Kuk. This popular guesthouse has clean, comfortable rooms and apartments. (☎020 43 54 67; www.burumaccommodation.com. Kitchen available. Free pickup from bus station and rides to Old Town. Apr.-May 100kn; June-Sept. 150-250kn. Cash only.) Begović Boarding House  , Primorska 17, offers spacious doubles and apartments in a cozy villa. Call ahead and the owner will pick you up. (☎020 43 51 91; www.begovic-boarding-house.com. Private bathrooms. Internet first 30min. free, then 10kn per 30min. Reserve ahead July-Aug. June-Sept. singles 150-200kn; doubles 240-300kn; triples 300-360kn. Oct.-May 100-120kn, 200-240kn, 300-360kn. Cash.)

Harborside favorite   Lokanda Peskarija , Na Ponti bb, has excellent, affordable seafood. From Placa, walk to the bell tower at the end of the street, turn right on Pred Dvorum, and take the first left out of the city walls. (☎020 32 47 50. Seafood 35-60kn. Open daily 8am-1am.) Exchange books, savor smoothies, and nosh on wraps at Fresh , Marojice Kaboge 1, serves up inexpensive, filling meals of pastas, soups, and salads. (☎020 32 39 94. Entrees 25-50kn. Open daily 10am-10pm.)

Sights. The entrance to the 2km limestone   City Walls (gradske zidine) lies just inside the Pile Gate on the left, with a second entrance at the other end of Placa, next to the Old Port. (Open daily 8am-7:30pm. 50kn, students 20kn. Audio tour 40kn.) The baroque Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Katedrala), Kneza Damjana Jude 1, is built on the site of a Romanesque cathedral and a 7th-century Byzantine cathedral. Its resplendent treasury (riznica) houses the “Diapers of Jesus,” along with a host of golden reliquaries of St. Blaise. Above the altar, check out Titian’s Assumption of Our Lady. (Cathedral open daily 8am-7pm; treasury open daily 8am-5pm. Cathedral free, treasury 10kn.) The 19th-century Serbian Orthodox Church (Srpska Pravoslavna Crkva) and its Museum of Icons (Muzej Ikona), Od Puča 8, together with the small yet intricate synagogue, Žudioska ulica 5, and mosque, Miha Pracata 3, stand as a symbol of Dubrovnik’s tolerance. (Museum of Icons ☎020 32 32 83; open M-Sa 9am-2pm; 10kn. Synagogue and Jewish Museum ☎020 32 10 28; open May-Oct. M-F 10am-8pm; 15kn. Mosque open daily 10am-1pm and 8-9pm. Free.) Classical performances are held in many churches during summer.

Beaches. Outside the fortifications of the Old Town are a number of rock shelves popular for sunning and swimming. To reach a beautiful but crowded pebble beach from the Placa’s end, turn left on Svetog Dominika, bear right after the footbridge, and continue on Frana Supila. Hop on a ferry from the Old Port (daily service 9am-7pm, 10min., 2 per hr., 40kn return) to nearby Lokrum, which has great cliff jumping, a botanical garden, and a nude beach on its eastern end. More modest travelers can stroll (fully clothed) through the nature preserve to a smaller section of rock shelves found on the other side of the island.

Festivals And Nightlife. Dubrovnik becomes a party scene and cultural mecca from mid-July to late-August during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Dubrovački Ljetni Festival). The festival office, Od Sigurate 1, at the intersection of Placa and Od Sigurate, has schedules and tickets. (☎020 32 61 00; ww.dubrovnik-festival.hr. Open daily during the festival 8:30am-9pm. 50-300kn.) By night, crowds gravitate to bars in Stari Grad and cafes on Buničeva Poljana, where live bands and street performers turn up in summer. From the open-air market, climb the stairs toward the Jesuit church, veer left, and follow the signs marked “Cool Drinks” along Od Margarite to   Buža, Crijeviceva 9. Outside the city wall, perched on the rocks high above the bright blue Adriatic, this laid-back watering hole is the best place to enjoy spectacular sunsets and a midnight swim. (Beer 30-32kn. Mixed drinks 35kn. Open daily 9am-2am.) At posh EastWest Cocktail and Dance Bar, Frana Supila bb, a dressed-to-impress clientele reclines on white leather sofas and plush beds on the beach. (Beer 12-30kn. Mixed drinks 40-100kn. Thai massage 200kn per 30min., 300kn for 1hr. Open daily 8am-4am.)

Daytrips From Dubrovnik: Lopud Island  

Jadrolinija’s ferries (50min., June-Aug. 4 per day, round-trip 36kn) run to Lopud and the Elafiti Islands. Purchase tickets at the Jadrolinija office, Obala S. Radića 40, across from the dock (☎41 80 00; www.jadrolinija.hr). Šunj Beach: from the ferry dock, face the water and turn left. Walk along the water for 5min. until you reach Konoba Barbara. Take a left on the walkway and go uphill. Bear right at the fork and follow the path to steps leading to the beach.) Fortress: from the waterfront, turn left at the town museum and follow the signs until you reach it.

In the center of the Elafiti Islands, the island of Lopud boasts one of the Adriatic’s most spectacular beaches. Unique among the region’s beaches because of its fine sand, Šunj Beach (Plaža Šunj) stretches along the bay and features warm, shallow water. On the opposite side of the island, the picturesque village of Lopud lies on a bay and is easily traversed in 15min. On the other end of the waterfront, uphill from the cafés and restaurants and past most of the hotels, stands a gazebo with panoramic views of the town and nearby islands. For travelers with lots of energy (and sturdy shoes), a number of trekking trails traverse the island; winding through deserted vineyards and olive groves, different trails lead to the ruins of medieval churches with hilltop shrines, fortresses, and monasteries. The   Fortress (Kaštio) has the most breathtaking vista; the tourist office, Obala Iva Kuljevana 12, is next to the dock and can provide maps of the island along with directions to Šunj and trekking information. ( } 759 086. Open M, W, Sa-Su 8am-1pm and 5pm-7pm; T, Th 8am-3pm).