Dubrovnik • Rewind
Charming Old Town, Game of Thrones, and a Bar with a killer view
Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful places that we’ve visited. The old town seemed to rise like a hidden gem off the Adriatic Sea and the red roof tiles and steeped medieval walls were glistening with the warm glow of the afternoon sun. This trip was a dream come true for everyone (well, except for Andrea since she does not have preferences yet). Dubrovnik has consistently topped our yearly travel wish list. My wife and I, avid Game of Thrones fans, have been craving to see the filming location of the mythical King’s Landing, while the kids were excited to see a well-preserved old town surrounded by iconic structures.
Planning the trip took some time. Dubrovnik gets an unbearable crowd in the summer months (June – August). Fortunately, we were able to plan a trip in end September. The timing was perfect. There were no crowds, flight and hotel bookings were reasonably cheaper, weather was mild, and reservations for restaurants and private side trips were a breeze.
We stayed at Old Town Heart apartment. It was a superb accommodation – a 2 bedroom apartment with a nice sofa bed in the living room, fully stocked kitchen, and a friendly owner. Location was great as this was near the Pile Gate and Stradun.
We were all excited with our planned activities – a self-guided photo-tour of the old town, cable car to Mt. Srd, wonderful side trips to Mostar, Kravice Lake, and Bay of Kotor and the usual search for excellent food (or in this case, a bar with one of a kind view).
Here’s our Trip Highlights:
1. Self-Guided Tour of Old Town (aka King’s Landing)
I was the designated “tour guide” so I had to do some research to plan our route and learn interesting trivia and Game of Thrones scenes. Here is what we have in the list if you were wondering: Stradun, Rector’s Palace, Fort Lovrijenac, West Harbour, and Ploce Gate. My wife hired a photographer to capture nice family photos as we walked around (super thanks to Kresimir Tadijic for patiently following us). The old town is very compact and we easily covered this in half a day (with ice cream stops in between).
Pile Gate
We started off at the Pile Gate and got here at 8am. There’s practically no one else, except some hungry pigeons and a stray cat. The gate is an imposing structure with a huge moat (now with a playground) and thick walls. We liked that there is a statue of a saint at the top of the entrance, as if warmly welcoming visitors. The saint’s name is Saint Blaise, the patron saint of Dubrovnik. I pointed to the spot where a scene from Game of Thrones was filmed and that was of Jaime Lannister returning to King’s Landing after he was freed from his captivity from the Starks.
West Harbour & Pier
The harbour is located between the Old Town and Fort Lawrence and is about 5 minutes walk from Pile Gate. It has beautiful sweeping views of the bay, interesting doors built in the rock, and a nice spot to lounge when the sun sets. The kids had so much fun running around, checking some boats docked on the ground, and climbing over the rocks so they can check the doors (good thing these were locked). The Game of Thrones scene here was interesting for the kids – the epic battle of the Blackwater bay and when the doors were used by the gold cloaks to kill King Barratheon’s unwanted children.
St. Lawrence Fortress (Fort Lovrijenac)
Right above the pier is St. Lawrence fortress. We skipped this in our morning tour as it was getting hot (there’s limited shade inside) and came back before sunset for nicer ambience. There is a lot of history in these walls. This fortress was built to defend the city against intruders, primarily the Venetians. To remind people of what they were fighting for, there is an interesting inscription at top of the entrance: NON BENE PRO TOTO LIBERTAS VENDITUR AURO. This means freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world. Indeed, a fitting message as Dubrovnik has never been conquered. In Game of Thrones, the fortress was known as the Red Keep and there’s a powerful scene that I remembered the most between Little Finger & Cersei. Little Finger reminded the Queen of a universal truth that prominent families ignore – Knowledge is power. But Cersei responded back and admonished Little Finger that power is power.
Tip: Entrance is free if you have the City Walls Ticket. The best time to visit the fortress is 1 hour before the sun sets. You can feel the breeze without the heat of the sun. This is also the perfect timing to take nice photos of the wall and the Adriatic Sea.
Stradun
All roads lead to Stradun. This is a wonderful promenade that is full of activities – restaurants with alfresco seating (for people watching), souvenir and gift shops selling Game of Thrones merchandise (we bought T-shirts and magnets), and even a small bookstore. In Game of Thrones, Stradun was featured in Cersei’s walk of Penance.
The kids loved leisurely strolling Stradun. They got even more excited when they found the bookstore and got themselves a couple of books as reward for the half-day walk. Andrea never got tired chasing the pigeons. A few steps off Stradun is a nice Korean restaurant called Dingdong. They offer staple fried chicken that’s a hit for the entire family (even Andrea asked for a second serving).
Rector’s Palace & Jesuit Staircase
At the end of Stradun is a beautiful building called Rector’s Palace. This is where you’ll find the city’s museum. We sat on the benches in the palace portal to recharge our tired feet. We noticed that this is actually a popular spot for tourists to sit around for a quick lunch or snacks. Ysa was amazed that this was perfectly rebuilt after several damages brought by earthquakes, fire and war. In Game of Thrones, this was prominently used as the Spice King’s residence and Sophia was quick to point out that this was a fitting location for a king because of beautifully grand architecture.
The Jesuit Staircase has gained popularity from the show. My wife explained to the girls that Cersei walked without her clothes on as a punishment. Interestingly, tourists flock here to imitate the walk of shame (with their clothes on, of course).
2. Visit Mt. Srd
You need to go to Mt. Srd to enjoy a sweeping panoramic view of Dubrovnik and the nearby Lokrum island. The best way to go is via a cable car (this was unfortunately closed when we were there due to the strong winds). It was a good thing that our photographers brought their cars, so we went with them to Mt. Srd. This was a 20 minute drive that required patience and skill due to the steep climb and the narrow unpaved streets. I wouldn’t recommend walking from Old Town (although, I saw some who dared).
Going there was worth it just for the spectacular view. We had several photos taken and my favourite was that of my wife looking over Dubrovnik and the Adriatic sea, like a conqueror who left Dubrovnik untouched because freedom, ultimately, is power.
3. Buza Bar
Nothing beats the simple pleasures of having a beer in hand, wonderful sunset, and listening to music. Buza Bar brings all these together. It’s (literally) a hole in the wall and it’s right on the cliff. It’s a small bar with limited selection of drinks. Yet, it gets crowded at sunset because that’s what everyone is after. Arrive early and pick a spot near the railings for an unobstructed view.
How to get here: From the top of Jesuit Staircase, go left towards the walls, then turn right. You should see the sign “Cold Drinks with the Most Beautiful View”.
4. Exciting Side Trips
Dubrovnik is a convenient base to explore equally awesome attractions in another country or within Croatia. Here’s our recommended tours:
- Bay of Kotor at Montenegro
- Mostar & Kravice
- Plitvice Lake