Dubrovnik is an underrated destination for a summer holiday, in comparison to the Greek Islands or the Canary Islands, and honestly, I don’t understand why. This city is probably one of the prettiest places I’ve visited in Europe and a location where beauty lingers throughout the seasons, especially in the summer months. The glimmering water and sunshine bouncing off all the main sights are a treat to the eyes. When the sun is at its peak and the city livens up with flocks of tourists and locals, and the beaches come alive, it’s a gorgeous place to be.
The Old Town is Dubrovnik’s most touristy area because it’s the hub for the most popular attractions such as The City Walls, Fort Lovrijenac and cable car. I visited all three of these and especially loved the cable car to get a bird’s eye view of Dubrovnik and see it as day turned to night. Dubrovnik has an old-school charm everyone wants to soak in and has an authenticity like nothing else I’ve experienced before. The authenticity is shown through the tiny alleyways and locals chatting, sitting on steps near their homes. They won’t be changing their ways for tourists any time soon. I don’t think there’s any way to compare the authenticity to other, smaller cities because each city has a different appeal and definition of what ‘authentic’ means. So, it’s even more authentic because it can’t be compared to other cities!
But the real question is, should you stay in the Old Town when in Dubrovnik? Is it worth it?
I could probably sum it up in a few words: the Old Town certainly has its pros and cons, depending on the type of traveller you are, when you’re planning your trip and what activities you’d like to get up to on your holiday. The Old Town is definitely for the explorer-traveller who loves a dose of the main tourist sights, roaming quaint streets and discovering new things. It’s for people who don’t live their lives according to guide books and travel guides. It’s for people who want to engage with the locals and, also, who want to sit on a rampart high above the city and take in the views by themselves. It’s a city for artists, especially landscape artists.
During my time in Dubrovnik, I stayed in the centre of the Old Town, only a few minutes’ walk from the main street in the city, the Stradun. The Stradun is packed with restaurants, cafes, a couple of shops and it’s from this throughfare that all the quaint alleyways in the Old Town spread out, including to the old port and to the Old Town exit.
I noticed when checking into my apartment (and getting lost as I couldn’t find it), that the main type of accommodations was apartments and it seemed to be the norm to stay in those. I loved that though because I’m a huge fan of self-catering accommodation when travelling. I prefer to make a place my own and call it home for a few days, rather than living the hotel lifestyle. It means I can control my breakfast eating times and also have that ‘local’ feeling to my accommodation too. I don’t always have to feel like a tourist in a new city, it can become a temporary home away from home.
My apartment was traditionally European in every way, located along a thin alleyway in the Old Town, above many of the cobbled steps. Its door was completely frosted, as were the windows which, honestly, was the weirdest thing to me because we actually couldn’t see what the weather was like each morning until we stepped out of the building; and the amount of light in the room wasn’t great either. Despite that, I adored the little apartment. It had a large bedroom space with a double bed, TV and clothes storage with a vintage-looking bedside table. The kitchen area was attached with a typical older-looking kitchen (very Mediterranean) and a picnic-style table as a dining table, right next to it. The whole apartment had marble floors and the bathroom was slightly different, more modern. I adored the humble look and how it wasn’t overly fancy. It looked lived-in and homely.
One of the things worth noting is no accommodation in the Old Town has central heating. If you’re visiting in the summer months when the sun is at its peak there is no need to worry, however, during cooler times and off-season, blankets and extra layers will have to be your best friend. That’s the thing with European houses and apartments as well, they’re designed to keep cool and it can be a bit of a disadvantage, especially in the Old Town with minimal ways to warm up. Of course, if you’re travelling with a loved one, cuddling up under thick blankets after a hot soak in the bath together, in a flat in the Old Town can feel kinda sexy in its own way. The antiquity and history can be a turn on for some!
Despite the lack of heating, the apartment was a place I could have made home and the joy of its location didn’t end there. The Old Town itself had a pull to it like no other. When initially researching Dubrovnik, I found the Old Town area to be the priciest part of Dubrovnik, probably because of its proximity to the attractions and natural charm. But, because of that, I was sceptical about it being worth the hype. Were they charging a little more because it was amazing or because they knew people would pay to be in the bustle?
In my opinion, the bustle is all part of the Old Town’s charm. I loved this spot in the quieter hours of the morning and when it was packed with laughter and chatter from tourists and locals alike. They were two different vibes, but both were worth the experience and I’m glad it’s something I was able to do.
On our first day in the city, the weather wasn’t pleasant, with cloudy skies and rainfall deterring people away from mooching around. I liked this experience as it allowed me to appreciate the Old Town without the noise and rush, it was effortless.
When the weather did warm up, however, the people emerged like kids into candy shops and the streets were full of life. There was a combination of locals and tourists, intertwining with each other, sitting in bars and chatting away in restaurants. It showed the heart of Dubrovnik in every way possible way, and I felt grateful where I was staying happened to be moments away from that joyous bustle.
Considering daytime antics and what sunny Dubrovnik was like, I imagined it would be loud and busy at night, keeping me awake. However, that was far from the truth. Nestled away, within the residential apartments, the flat kept out the noise. I woke up every morning to quiet streets in the earlier hours before the city came alive and I loved how the city was all mine and I could plan the day’s exploration in peace. I could absorb all the beauty without the distraction of other locals and tourists. When it comes to new cities, this part of the morning is great for a walk and looking for potential breakfast places. It’s probably worth mentioning that I visited at the beginning of the season (early May), before the flock of tourists had the opportunity to take over the Old Town. This in itself gave me the best of both worlds as there were enough crowds to enjoy the busy ambience but not enough to take away from the city’s charm.
My favourite part of staying in the Old Town was how I could walk to every attraction I wanted to which meant everything I needed to see was within easy reach. From the renowned Old City Walls, the old port, the Stradun, and the famous beach scene -including Banje Beach and Sulic Bay- to Fort Lovrijenac, Jesuit staircase and the cable car ride.
The Walls of Dubrovnik were built in the 13th century and during the 15 century, 15 towers were built as part of the walls – some which are still there today. The 12th century, cliff-perched Fort Lovrijenac, although outside the Old Town’s walls, is worth a visit. Braver souls can even attempt to dive off the cliffs! The Jesuit staircase, now famous for a Games of Thrones scene, originates in 1738. It was designed by Italian architect Pietro Passalacqua and is an example of Baroque architecture in the city. The majority of the architecture in Dubrovnik is either medieval or Baroque.
The two main beaches, Banje Beach and Sulic Bay, have their own reasons to be beautiful and are completely different. Banje Beach is the tourist hub with plenty of sun beds and the place to be for water sports. Whilstpebbly Sulic Bay is tucked away and popular with cliff jumpers.
The Old City Walls is a unique experience and one I’m thankful to have done. I walked around the entirety of the Old Town and saw the city from every angle. There was something magical about being up high and seeing the city below me. My favourite part was the view of endless terracotta rooftops as for me that’s what I picture when I think of Dubrovnik.
The beach scene was a dream with its combination of different pebbly terrains. Its water was so clear, that it didn’t look real, kind of like what you’d expect on an edited Instagram picture. I loved the calmness of the water and spending hours lapping up the sunshine. The old port area had a local feel to it with boats passing in and out, taking passengers on excursions and a row of vendors selling the tickets. They were friendly, chatting amongst themselves and with us as we booked our trips. They made us feel welcome in every way. Fort Lovrijenac was one of those sights I’m grateful to have taken in the view from, the same with the cable car ride to Mount Srd. In both experiences, I got a taste of what Dubrovnik looks like from a distance.
Among all the main attractions, the main draw for me was the ambience of the Old Town itself. Being amongst it every day, discovering new quaint streets and charming buildings such as local’s apartments made my heart happy. The streets surrounding the accommodation near The Rupe Museum had to be my favourite as they captured the true heart of the city. It had that local appeal about it, with people living their normal everyday life. And for me, although Dubrovnik has become a touristic place, there are many people which still call it there home – and that’s the true heart of any location.
Everything I needed was right at my fingertips and the longest walk I had to do was around 30 minutes, to reach the esteemed Sveti Jacov Beach. This close proximity meant I could relax more as I didn’t have to worry about wasting time travelling to and from places. I could get up, see what was on the agenda and know I didn’t have to think about public transport or booking a taxi. I could simply venture out and be on my way. There was also that ease of knowing how easy it was to find my way back as the Old Town isn’t big at all. I love waking up and strolling along the cobbled paths to reach the buzzing vibe of the Stradun or mooching down to the harbour and sailing away on an excursion.
The apartment, as I mentioned, was around a ten-minute walk to the old port, a couple of minutes to Stradun and the City Walls, fifteen minutes to the nearest beach and about 2 minutes to the closest restaurant.
I keep thinking about should I have stayed somewhere else to get more of a local feel to Dubrovnik? And honestly, the answer is no. Despite being in the hustle and bustle of tourism and activity, I didn’t feel like my stay was over commercial like many other tourist hotspots. I didn’t feel as if I was surrounded by keen holiday-goers only wanting to get drunk and lounge about, it was the opposite. I felt the people who I walked passed, were travellers who appreciate authentic beauty and seeing new cultures – and wanted to see how the Old Town lived up to expectations.
I don’t think I would have experienced the draw of the quaint walkways, cobbled streets and locals weaving in and out of old-school apartments in other parts of Dubrovnik. It didn’t have the overly holiday feel because it wasn’t packed with resorts or beach spots, it was endearing and attractive in the ways a city should be.
Overall, I do think staying in the Old Town was completely worth every penny. Even though it had a slightly higher price tag than staying in places such as Lapad, it was a better investment for many reasons. I had easy access to the old port for boat trips and bus stop to get to and from the airport. Food and drink options were endless with cafes and restaurants around every single corner in the Old Town that I was spoilt for choice. Andit meant I saved on all things transport cost as there was no need to pay for public transport since all the attractions and beaches could be reached by foot.
The allure of the Old Town won my heart over every single morning. I don’t think I ever got bored of walking down the same cobbled steps morning and night to reach my apartment. Every time it felt new and surreal, but at the same time as home and completely familiar. It’s hard to describe it but the Old Town had a way of welcoming me home. Travelling is something that feels natural to me, and I love finding places which feel safe enough to hold the same feeling of locations I’ve seen over and over. It may be down to the fact the Old Town had an Italian appeal to it to why it suited me so nicely.
It’s worth it because I had all I needed for a beautiful holiday in Dubrovnik. I could find new things to see each day, roaming around back to my apartment, as every street had its one unique flair. Whether that was cute shops, cafes or restaurants or authentic-looking Mediterranean homes, covered in flowers and terracotta roofs. There was always something interesting to look at and as I ventured out of the Old Town, the same beauty didn’t remain in the same way. The views were impeccable, and the beaches took my breath away, but the ancient style and secret feeling the Old Town have didn’t match up anywhere else.
And it’s also with saying I loved the limiting use of transport within the Old Town. Due to the windy cobbled streets and steep paths, cars wouldn’t get around as much as in other places across the city. To me, this added to the appeal because it kind of turned back the time slightly where walking around was the norm and that’s how you’d get about your day-to-day life.
To sum it up, the answer is yes. If you’re planning a trip to Dubrovnik, I would highly recommend choosing a spot in the Old Town to stay. The Old Town isn’t overly large in the slightest and means you can stay wherever throughout it and still be close by to all the top attractions on foot. It takes under 10 minutes to walk from one side of the Old Town to the other which is nothing, compared to if you were staying in Lapad, where the peninsula is double in size.
Dubrovnik is a city that’ll open your eyes to many new experiences, good food and views you won’t believe are real and I’d recommend it to anyone. To get the full experience of Old Town, I would suggest booking your trip as the season begins. This allows you to experience the sunny skies of the city and get a dose of the busy atmosphere without too many tourists travelling through – and see the Old Town in all its glory.
