Skip to Content

An Evening in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, the most amazing walled city on the Adriatic coast. Stay for a day or a week, but don’t miss a thing!


Established in the 7th century as a leader in maritime trade, nowadays when you mention Dubrovnik, people conjure up images from the popular television series “Game of Thrones,” which is one of the best Dubrovnik tours. And I couldn’t wait to take it.

While there I tried to match us some of the settings in the movie as well, but there is a lot more to this stone-walled city than the engaging Kings Landing movie set.  UNESCO inscribed it on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1979 due to its preservation as a medieval city.

The Pearl of the Adriatic

Dubrovnik city gate with Croatia flag flying on tower.

Situated on the stunning Dalmatian coast, where azure blue water laps up onto a golden shore, you are already smitten before you even see the first view of this impressive city.  Looking down into the port and seeing the humongous walls starts to give you an idea of how much the city really has to offer.

Small boat harbor in Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik is a popular cruise ship stop, and we wanted to avoid the major crowds.  We arrived in late afternoon when the sun was just starting to set.  It cast a coppery tone to the white stones, which just added to the enchanting atmosphere.

View of Dubrovnik city walls.

Our hotel was located at the very top of the city, and we had to wend our way down, down, down to the city proper.  The views were spectacular, and we shared the walkways with all sorts of people, like the traditional band, or the lottery vendors.  Everyone was headed downtown.

Ancient back alley in Dubrovnik.

We invaded the narrow alleyways, and way too many stairwells, that envelop the city.  Late afternoon coffee drinkers hung out at the cafes and restaurants chatting about their day.  Cats did their rounds starting to look for scraps that fall to the ground.

Dubrovnik bell tower and main plaza.

Heading down into the center of the town, the business day was winding down and I had to side-step children learning to ride two-wheelers, moms pushing strollers or chasing after their toddlers, dads leaning up against the walls with a cigarettes dangling.  Unlike my hometown where there are individual houses and yards, the downtown area was the place for communing, catching up on the day’s gossip; the place to be.

Dubrovnik statue of city founder.

We played tourist and photographer, soaking up the last rays of sun and enjoying the evening vibe, then we started looking for a restaurant.  Fish is the way to go, and many people tried to pull us into their restaurants with trays of fresh fish all too tempting to walk past.

Outdoors cafe in narrow alley in Dubrovnik old town.

It seemed that every alley was full with restaurants, cafes, and bars, and they were all filling up.  Not all the tourists had left at sunset.

Walking through Dubrovnik old town at night.

After our delicious fish dinner, we had to walk back out of the center of town and up the hill.  The night views of Dubrovnik are just as breath-taking as in daylight, and it seems like there are people walking around very late at night.

Outside the Dubrovnik city walls.

We spent a few more days in this gleaming white city, but the first night definitely was the most magical.  I would recommend waiting until evening to explore Dubrovnik for the very first time.

Have you been to the Pearl of the Adriatic?  What were your impressions of Dubrovnik?

Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.

Beth

Thursday 20th of November 2014

What a gorgeous city! I'd love to travel there someday. Your photos really made it come to life for me!

Corinne Vail

Friday 21st of November 2014

Beth, It really is gorgeous! I think it was best as the sun was setting and sitting out in the alleyways sipping a drink after dark!

Catherine

Sunday 16th of November 2014

Great photos! Love all the little alleyways, so cute!

Corinne Vail

Monday 17th of November 2014

Catherine, You would definitely enjoy going to Dubrovnik. I've never heard of anyone who didn't love it.

Becky Padmore

Saturday 15th of November 2014

I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan, would love to visit the city one day!

Corinne Vail

Monday 17th of November 2014

Becky, Whether or not your a GoT fan, it's a gorgeous place to visit! I'm sure you'll make it there soon.

Renuka

Saturday 15th of November 2014

First of all, let me say that Dubrovnik is totally my kind of a city! I love its architectural beauty, and I think the city should look even more strikingly gorgeous when the sunlight turn mellow in the afternoon. Perfect for photography! :-)

Corinne Vail

Monday 17th of November 2014

Renuka. So right! The stones are so polished and sparkling white during the day, then a gorgeous gold in the evening. I loved it!

Mike

Thursday 13th of November 2014

I would absolutely love to visit Dubrovnik and I especially liked the nighttime photo of the street/alley with the people walking. I'm glad the crowds weren't too bad. I absolutely loved S1 and S2 of Game of Thrones but bailed with they blasted it with a gazillion different characters. Most of my friends stayed loyal to the show to this day though. Good post, Corinne :)

Corinne Vail

Friday 14th of November 2014

Mike, Yes, I'm one of those loyal fans. It's a good show. Dubrovnik is really a magical city, but I'm not a fan of crowds. Thanks, Mike