Dubrovnik, Croatia Hotels and City Guide

Dubrovnik City Guide

Situated on a rocky promontory on the narrow coastal strip bordering the Adriatic Sea, the 1,300-year walled city of Dubrovnik is Croatia’s most southerly city. Described by George Bernard Shaw as ‘paradise on earth’, and by Lord Byron as ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’, the Old Town is indeed a sparkling jewel in Croatia’s crown, basking under a blue sky and bathed in luminous Mediterranean light for most of the year.

Once a Roman settlement (Ragusa) in the 7th century, Dubrovnik became a protectorate of the Byzantine Empire until 1205, then of Venice until 1358, before falling under the control of Hungary until 1526, followed by the Ottoman Empire until 1806. In practice it remained independent until Napoleon abolished it in 1808 when he included it with the Illyrian provinces. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna assigned it to Austria. In 1918 Dubrovnik became part of what was to become Yugoslavia in 1929, finally becoming an independent republic after its war of independence from Yugoslavia between 1991-1995.

Located in a strategic position with the Mediterranean Sea not far away, and with navigable protective channels formed by the many Adriatic islands, it is not surprising that Dubrovnik was an important sea power between the 14th and 17th centuries and became a maritime city-state to rival Venice until the catastrophic earthquake of 1667.

The impressive defensive city walls incredibly are still intact, having been constructed between the 8th and 16th centuries and no visit to Dubrovnik would be complete without an hour’s walk along the massive ramparts. The only way to see the pedestrianised Old Town is on foot. Many delights await the visitor in the form of glorious medieval, gothic, renaissance and baroque buildings which include monasteries, 17 churches, the second oldest synagogue in Europe, palaces, museums, art galleries, fountains, statues, colourful tropical gardens, pockets of lush greenery and small terraced gardens, not forgetting colourful washing hanging on lines. Stroll along the Placa, the main street which provides the most direct and quickest route from Pile to Ploce Gates while admiring the architecture as you imbibe the ambience of this unique city. Climb up steep, narrow cobbled-stepped alleyways leading off the Placa to the north where you will discover delightful cafés, craft shops and more. Enticing secret courtyards wait to be explored so make sure you have comfortable walking shoes. The old harbour on the eastern side of the Old Town serves as an attractive marina in the shelter of the walls.

Beyond the city walls, the suburbs of Dubrovnik sparkle in the summer sunshine, where palm trees add to the tropical atmosphere and bright bougainvillaea and oleanders add splashes of colour. Orange and lemon groves, beaches, rocky coves along the rugged Adriatic coastline asking to be explored add to the charm of the Dubrovnik area. Stroll along the grand shady promenade on the Lapad peninsula as you explore this attractive area.

Dubrovnik City Facts

Population: approximately 44,000 at the last census in 2001
Dubrovnik-Neretva County area: 21.35 sq.km
The Old City area: 1 sq.km
Telephone Area Code: 020
Country telephone code: +385
Postal code: 20000
Currency: Croatian Kuna (kn) divided into 100 lipa
Time Zone: GMT+1
Language: Croatian
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz. European two-pin plugs.

Dubrovnik City Districts

Ploce, Pile, Boninovo, the forested Lapad peninsula (hotels and beaches), Babin Kuk, Nuncijata, Gruz (CBD and new port) are some of the immediate suburbs outside the walls.

Hotels in Dubrovnik, Croatia