Guide to Dubrovnik

"Nowhere else in the world is a medieval city is so perfectly presented. But Dubrovnik isn't preserved in aspic. It's vibrant and vital, with pizzerias in its pretty squares, discos down its cobbled streets and watersports on the deep blue sea. Inimitable …"

Encircled by the sturdiest city walls, Dubrovnik climbs up cobbled streets, twists along narrow alleyways and opens onto hidden squares. It's a labyrinth with a sightseeing treat round every corner. The view from the ramparts over terracotta-topped buildings is almost too perfect to be real. Church domes and bell towers rise towards the sky. And here and there are splashes of green – where a tall tree is throwing dappled shade onto an ancient piazza. But it's not all about the city scene. Lapping at the city's south-western edge, the Adriatic forms a sparkling blue backdrop to a picture unchanged through centuries. So much for the wider picture. Now home-in on the detail. This UNESCO World Heritage Site may look much as it did six hundred years ago, but it survives because it's anything but old-fashioned. Along with the monasteries and palaces, there are markets and pizzerias. Intimate bars and restaurants inhabit old-world buildings. In July and August, Dubrovnik's Summer Festival fills the stone-paved streets with the music of outdoor concerts.The town's marina is attracting a growing number of yachties – and sailing is second-to-none with so many offshore islands to explore. This city is a one-off.

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Recommended Dubrovnik hotels and apartments

Hotel Dubrovnik Palace

Grand Hotel Park

Grand Villa Argentina

Dubrovnik hotels and apartments

Our hotels and apartments in Dubrovnik include Ariston Hotel, Excelsior Hotel And Spa, Grand Hotel Park, Grand Villa Argentina, Hotel Argosy, Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, Hotel Dubrovnik President, Hotel Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, Hotel Komodor, Hotel Neptun, Hotel Splendid, Hotel Tirena, Hotel Uvala, Hotel Villa Orsula, Jolandas Apartment, Karmens House, Karolinas House, Magnolia Cottage, Orsetta, Pavica Apartment, Rixos Libertas Dubrovnik Hotel, Sipa Apartments, Valamar Club, Valamar Lacroma and Villa Peric Studios.

More Croatia holiday destinations

Looking for holidays in Croatia? Our Croatia holiday destinations include Baska Voda, Bol, Brac Island, Brela, Brtonigla, Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korcula, Labin, Lanterna, Lopud Island, Loviste, Lovran, Makarska, Mlini, Novigrad, Opatija, Orasac, Orebic, Pjescana Uvala, Plat, Porec, Pucisca, Rabac, Ravni, Rovinj, Ruzici, Sibenik, Stikovica Zaton, Supetar, Trogir, Trpanj, Trsteno, Tucepi, Umag, Zaton Mali and Zaton Veliki.

Beaches

Dubrovnik's stunning coastline is made up of rocky outcrops and pebbly coves. Many of the hotels on the Dubrovnik Riviera have bathing platforms that provide access to the wonderful translucent sea. The absence of sand has resulted in some of the clearest and cleanest waters in Europe.

Eating out

When eating out, it's worth scouring the back streets of the old town in order to find hidden-away, characterful Croatian restaurants where fresh fish and spit-roasted pork often feature on the menus. The Lapad Peninsula is home to a small number of eateries that range from cafes serving snacks to restaurants offering international cuisine.

Nightlife

Dubrovnik is home to a couple of discos where you can dance into the early hours. However, most nightlife tends to be focused around the city's many inviting bars and cafes where you can while away an evening over a glass or two of wine after a post-dinner stroll. During the summer there are a number of cultural events offering musical and dramatic diversions.

Shopping

Lined with stalls, souvenir stores and elegant boutiques, you can shop to your heart's content in the streets around Dubrovnik's old town. The city is known for its trade in jewellery and lacework and paintings by local artists can be purchased in chic, privately owned galleries.

Local information

Following a painstaking reconstruction process, the city has been restored to its former glory and the perfectly preserved old town of Dubrovnik of 'Stari Grad' well deserves its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Its steep, cobbled streets open out into marble-paved squares complete with gurgling fountains. The alleyways brim with tall, terracotta-tiled overhanging houses, old convents, small churches and elegant palaces that bear witness to Dubrovnik's fascinating past.