Dubrovnik – Our Truths & Trivia
Just a little fun...
So this post is our light-hearted view of Dubrovnik.
It has some of the interesting stuff, a few trivial facts, and our thoughts on this ancient Adriatic city.
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Let’s start with the Truths about Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is located in southern Croatia along the Dalmatian coastline. And yes, it does get busy; however, try and be selective on your timings.Location
The 3 C's
Continent
Europe
Country
Croatia
Capital
Zagreb
Dubrovnik’s history dates from the 7th-century, and at which time the city was named Ragusa. As recent as 2007 evidence of a Byzantine 8th-century Basilica has been uncovered.
The most devastating natural disaster that hit Dubrovnik was on the morning of 6th April 1667, when an earthquake occurred. This horrendous tragedy flattened almost all of the ancient city and killed around 5,000 people.
Croatia has been ruled by various empires over the centuries from Venetian, Ottoman, French, Austria (Habsburg), Austro-Hungarian. From 1918 Croatia was overseen by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
All throughout these centuries Ragusa/Dubrovnik played a vital role in maritime history.
With the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 came the horrific and ghastly Balkans conflict. Which on 1st October saw the ‘Siege of Dubrovnik’, which continued until the summer of 1992.
With the resilience of the locals and the assistance of UNESCO Dubrovnik’s ‘Old City’ kept its UNESCO status which was granted in 1979.
Dubrovnik is an ideal location for a mini-break, as it has history, culture, sun, sea and sand. We stayed in Dubrovnik for three nights as part of our two-week road trip.
If you’re going to drive be aware of the neighbouring country borders. You may need to briefly pass through Bosnia-Herzegovina if you are not island hopping.
National Flag
Regional Flag
It’s good to talk
What speaks?
Language
Croatian (English is widely spoken)
International Dialling Code
+385-20
Currency
Croatian Kuna (HRK)
What Time?
Timezone
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Difference from UTC
+1 Hour
So what’s this Trivia then?
About Dubrovnik, the city encased with walls so thick they have never been breached.Did you know?
- It was Lord Byron that named Dubrovnik ‘The Pearl of the Adriatic’.
- Ragusa was the Latin name for Dubrovnik. It officially changed its name in 1918, following the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- Agatha Christie spent her second honeymoon in Dubrovnik.
- Dubrovnik is home to one of Europe’s oldest and still operating pharmacies, which opened in 1317.
- The Republic of Ragusa was one of the first places to abolish slavery in 1418.
- From 2019 only two cruise ships can dock a day, with the limit of 5,000 visitors between them. Check out their schedule, you may find some cruise-free days.
- October is one of the busiest months.
- Dubrovnik is not the capital of Croatia, it is Zagreb
It's famous for...
Food and Drink
Pašticada
A Dalmatian region speciality is Pašticada. A slow-roasted beef dish traditionally served with gnocchi. A little hard to find at times, although we spotted it at Konoba Pjatanca. This family-run restaurant had plenty of local dishes and an outside terrace with views across to Lokrum Island.
Fish and seafood
Of course this is a given along the shores of the Adriatic Sea. We had some delicious seafood dishes in Dubrovnik, just a simply cooked whole fish takes some beating.
Orahovac
This a walnut liqueur, which I believe you can get throughout Croatia. Nevertheless, we sampled one at the Konoba Pjatanca, which was made at home by the waitress’s brother.
Wine
On our drive down to Dubrovnik, we headed through some of Croatia’s islands and discovered some incredible vineyards. I’m not surprised they keep their wine it to themselves, try and a grab a bottle to bring home.
A helpful guide
If you've yet to discover the delights of Croatia you're in for a treat. While planning our road trip, I used the DK Eyewitness books. I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our north to south Croatian road trip, now you can grab the revised copy.
See and Do
Stradun
The main street through the Old Town is Stradun, it stretches 300 metres and has some amazing architecture along the way. In Luža Square discover Sponza Palace, St Blaise Church, Orlando’s Column, the small Onofrio’s Fountain and the Bell Tower
Jesuit Stairs
I loved it here, climb the Baroque Jesuit Stairs, reminiscent of the Spanish Steps in Rome, to St Ignatius Church high above.
City Walls
Take a stroll around the ramparts, they can only be accessed from three locations around the city. The walls are navigated in one direction (anti-clockwise), which is very handy, as they are quite narrow in places. The views are spectacular.
Ancient Gates
The two main gates around the city walls are Pile and Ploče. Both of these gates are rather impressive. You feel like you are entering an unknown world beyond when you cross the old wooden drawbridge.
Mostar
If you’re on a road trip, why not head across the border and visit the ancient city of Mostar and stroll its magnificent bridge. You’ll need to plan ahead as specific insurance, and a Green Card is required. However, it is worth it.
Don’t forget to have a peek at our other posts from our 'Croatian Road Trip'.
Movies & Music
Game of Thrones
I admit upfront that I’m not a GoT fan, please don’t hold it against me. Although I understand why Dubrovnik was used as one of their locations. This is big business for Dubrovnik.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
The Last Jedi - Yes, in 2017 John Boyega and Mark Hamill headed to the cobbled streets of Dubrovnik to film the eighth movie in the sci-fi series.
Robin Hood
This is the 2018 version of this iconic movie starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. I haven’t seen the film; however, I get the impression it wasn’t one of their better silver screen moments.
And our thoughts on Drubrovnik?
(Would we return? Is it good value? And did we feel the love?)Return-a-bility
or What are the chances of us revisiting?
(0% - You'll have to drag us over hot coals to go back 100% - Why am I not there now?)
Notes:
I loved it in Dubrovnik; however, I feel that during our 3 nights we uncovered quite a bit of the city. Therefore, I’d like to discover more of the Balkans.
Value for Money
Our value for money index.
Don't forget we're Londoners, and that means our baseline is quite high.
(0% - How much? I wanted to buy a drink, not the bar 100% - How much? I'll take two.)
Notes:
I thought that the food was quite reasonably priced even in the Old Town, although drinks were a little expensive. If you head away from the tourist hotspots the prices were more acceptable.
Getting around town
What's it like discovering the city?
Is it walkable? do you need to use public transport? did we leave with weary feet?
(0% - It's mountainous and public transport's a joke 100% - I'm in paradise.)
Notes:
In the heart of the old city, the pedestrian centre is reasonably walkable, although you do have to climb to reach the ramparts. Outside the city walls, and things can get rather hilly, our apartment had incredible views, but our calves paid the price.
Janis's Hi's & Lo's
Highlight
I really enjoyed visiting Dubrovnik, the architecture and the views across the Adriatic Sea are beautiful. When the sunsets and the crowds have dispersed, it’s a wonderful place to stroll around.
Lowlight
Other than the fact that Dubrovnik is touristy I’m struggling to see a negative.
Gary's Hi's & Lo's
Highlight
It's a fantastic place, with so much history, charm and character. The people we met were lovely, really friendly, and it was magical to explore the old town. The city is picture-postcard perfect and gave me memories to last a lifetime.
Lowlight
I think there are 3 things really; The first one's been addressed - the influx of tourists during the day, the second is the prices of drinks - just seems noticeably higher than the rest of the country, and the third - the hills - you always seemed to be climbing, or descending - okay, I need to get fitter!
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