Dubrovnik: Hiking the Old Town Walls and Lokrum Island
No trip to Dubrovnik is complete without a stroll around one of the world’s most stunning architectural achievements, the ancient city walls. Built between the 11th and 17th centuries, they stretch 2km in length, completely encircling the town. For centuries, these walls made Dubrovnik nearly impenetrable by enemies and allowed this Mediterranean sea power to rival Venice as a trading port. They are Dubrovnik’s claim to fame and I knew I wanted to walk them regardless of the heat and the crowds.
So there was no sleeping in this morning! The walls open at 8am and with cruise ship passengers infiltrating the city around 10 and the sun intensifying shortly after, I knew I wanted to get there as soon as the gates opened. There are three entry points and I decided to start at the southeast corner, the Ploče Gate, which is known for being less crowded and allows you to tackle the steepest section right off the bat.
Dubrovnik’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s finest and best preserved medieval cities. While an earthquake destroyed many of the city’s Gothic and Renaissance buildings in 1667, the defensive walls survived and Dubrovnik was carefully rebuilt in Baroque style. The city suffered more damage when Croatia violently separated from Yugoslavia in 1991 and Dubrovnik became the only coastal city to come under siege. But thanks to meticulous reconstruction, the only physical reminders of the war are the newer bright-orange roof tiles, which you’ll see amongst the salvaged older tiles as you walk the walls.
The best views from atop the walls require a steep climb up the steps of the Minčeta Tower, but you’re rewarded with the entire walled city spread out before you and the shimmering Adriatic beyond.
When you arrive at the Pile Gate, you have a perfect view straight down the Stradun, the main promenade cutting through the heart of Old Town and one of the best places to people-watch within the walls.
Across the cove to the right is the Fort of St. Lawrence and on the western side backing up against the Adriatic, you’ll see the Buža bars set up on the rocks below. It’s a cool experience to circle the city from this elevated viewpoint, watching residents hang their laundry on the line, peering into hidden gardens, identifying the various landmarks rising above the orange rooftops and taking in the amazing views of the walled city from every angle. Back where I started, I made my way down to the Port and hopped on a ferry to Lokrum Island.
Lokrum Island offers a lush retreat just 600 meters across the Adriatic from Dubrovnik’s walled city. It’s known for having some of the most natural and peaceful beaches in the area (all rocky), as well as, an abundance of shade thanks to the forested landscape of pine, cypress and olive trees. With ferries running back and forth every half hour in the heart of the summer, it’s an easy escape for even just a few hours.
With just a glance at the map, I decided to aimlessly wonder around the island, enjoying the opportunity to get lost on the paths snaking through the subtropical vegetation. There are cliffs to jump from, coves to swim in, rocks to sunbathe on and there’s even a nudist beach. I trekked up the Path to Paradise, which does not lead to the nudist beach, but to Fort Royal, sitting atop the island’s highest point and providing the best aerial views of the mainland. There’s also a medieval Benedictine monastery (now a restaurant), which is surrounded by a notable botanical garden and Dead Sea Lake, another popular place to swim. It was scorching hot, even in the shade and I was regretting that I hadn’t worn my bathing suit so I could take a quick dip in the Adriatic.
The island is home to some very tame and somewhat aggressive peacocks and peahens who were not afraid to approach the human visitors in search of food. They were fun to watch, but I was a little worried for one woman who wasn’t willing to part with her ice cream cone… the peahen seemed to suggest she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Legend has it that the Benedictine Monks put a curse on Lokrum when they were expelled in the 19th century to make room for the aristocrats and even today, it is considered bad luck to stay overnight on the island. Since I wasn’t relaxing today, two hours was plenty to stroll Lokrum in it’s entirety, stopping to take in the views. And after a quick 10 minute ferry ride, I was back in Dubrovnik’s walled city.
I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Old Town… getting lost in the narrow alleys, discovering quaint squares and sitting down to a delicious lunch. This is definitely one of the more atmospheric places I’ve visited. It’s fun to imagine what it must have been like back in the Golden Age when busy merchants, the salt trade and shipbuilding made Dubrovnik rich. If you’re into the Game of Thrones, I can imagine it must be fun to roam the cobblestone lanes recognizing backdrops for scenes that were filmed here in town. This walled city majestically rising out of the blue water has earned every bit of it’s nickname, “The Pearl of the Adriatic”.
The first World Cup Quarterfinal match started at 4pm, so I decided to join the hundreds of fans parked at one of the many outdoor cafes. It seems like the entire city comes to a stop once these futbol games get underway. I was reluctant to have to say goodbye to this charming place two hours later as I jumped in an uber to the airport. I can’t believe the irony of my current situation… My flight departs Dubrovnik at 7:50pm and Croatia kicks off against Russia in the World Cup Quarterfinal round ten minutes later. It’s killing me to get on this plane and not stay to participate in the excitement. I thought about changing my flight, but with that costing over $1k, I decided the responsible thing to do was get on the plane and watch the highlights when I landed in Madrid. Croatia ended up winning in another emotional shoot out, so I’m thinking the thousand bucks would have definitely been worth it to be a part of the celebrations in Dubrovnik… but I’m sure my wallet wouldn’t agree.
Croatia left a big imprint on my heart…. the kind and generous people, the beautiful scenery, the charming villages, the gorgeous Adriatic. This was an unforgettable experience and I’m already looking forward to visiting again in the future and exploring more of this stunning country.
