Hot Spots › Croatia
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik's old city is extraordinary. The Stradun main street, the city walls, the monasteries, the views of the Adriatic — all of it lives up to its reputation. The problem is that peak summer Dubrovnik now functions primarily as a cruise ship excursion destination with accommodation on top. The city has introduced visitor caps on the old town walls, which tells you something about the scale of the problem. Visit in May or late September and you are in a different city.
Crowd pressure
The old city walls walk is so congested in summer that a daily visitor cap has been introduced. Cruise ships can deposit up to 8,000 passengers a day. Game of Thrones filming locations are besieged.
Why visit
The walled old city genuinely is one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean. May or October visits are a significantly different experience.
Best window
May or late September to stay outside peak cruise season
Getting there
Dubrovnik Airport well-connected from Europe in summer. Ferries from Split and the islands.
The honest version
Expensive at any time. Peak summer is genuinely unpleasant in terms of congestion. The shoulder season is a different city.
Instead of Dubrovnik
Instead of
Dubrovnik
Croatia
Try
Šibenik
Croatia
Šibenik has everything Dubrovnik has in structural terms — a medieval walled town, Adriatic position, historic UNESCO heritage — with a fraction of the visitor numbers. The Cathedral of St James is more architecturally significant than anything in Dubrovnik's old city.
Instead of
Dubrovnik
Croatia
Try
Korčula
Croatia
Korčula is a miniature fortified island town on the same Adriatic that drew people to Dubrovnik. The local wine culture, the walkable old town, and the quieter pace all deliver on the same promise at a lower price and with less congestion.
Layers
Region
At a glance
- Country
- Croatia
- Region
- Dubrovnik-Neretva
- Heat Score
- 90/100
- Cost level
- $$$
- Alternatives
- 2