Lifestyle, food and drink, and our family life and travel adventures.
When I was 17, all of my female friends went on holiday to Croatia. I couldn’t afford to go as I was already going abroad with my boyfriend that year, and I was pretty gutted to be missing out. Especially as all of their photos looked absolutely amazing and Croatia looked so beautiful.
Until that point I hadn’t realised how beautiful Croatia was, and ever since then I have been desperate to go. Unfortunately I still haven’t made it there, and even though I am sure it has changed a lot, I’m still longing to go. It looks incredibly beautiful and I think it would make the perfect short European break. I would really love to visit Dubrovnik in particular, and stay in one of these gorgeous Dubrovnik villas overlooking the beautiful blue sea.
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea and is situated in Southern Dalmatia, a beautiful part of the coast known as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. It is one of the only walled towns left in the world, and the Old Town became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
The walls surround the marble streets and baroque buildings, and the main pedestrian area, Placa, is filled with cafes and shops with monuments at either end. Outside the city are beaches, wooded peninsulas and the Adriatic sea, which is scattered with lush islands. Dubrovnik is the most visited city in Croatia, and it’s easy to understand why.
Dubrovnik’s Old Town juts out into the Adriatic Sea, and is known as one of the world’s finest and most perfectly preserved medieval cities in the world. For centuries, it rivalled Venice as a trading port, with its huge sturdy stone walls, built between the 11th and 17th centuries, giving protection to the city.
You can walk along these historic walls and enjoy the best views of the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ and the lush green islands close by. The old town is a traffic-free zone, making it safe and enjoyable to walk around the old city streets. The city has been preserved beautifully after a lot of reconstruction after the earthquake in 1667, as well as after it was attacked during the civil war in the 90’s.
Dubrovnik is a vibrant city, full of locals whose homes line the narrow maze of streets, and there is so much to enjoy, such as the markets, galleries, cafes and restaurants, as well as the beautiful buildings all around you.
Croatian food consists of a lot of seafood that has often come straight from the sea that day. Dubrovnik has a bustling gastro scene, so you can try amazing fish street food, wonderful fine dining, vegan food, and everything from Bosnian to Korean cuisine, often overlooking the beautiful shoreline.
Restaurants around the old town offer fresh seafood, oysters and lobsters and wonderful sweet treats, such as kotonjata, a jelly-like dessert that’s both sweet and bitter, crafted from a local fruit that are native to Dubrovnik. Then there’s Orancini – candied strips of orange peel, rozata – an egg flan, and mantala; a cake made of almonds, syrup, and cinnamon.
The wine-growing Pelješac peninsula is very close to Dubrovnik and wine is a big part of life on the Dalmation coast – a region with many indigenous varietals, and so you can get some really great wines there. You can enjoy some great reds and whites, and lots that pair beautifully with popular local dished like black risotto with fish. D’Vino Wine Bar in the Old Town is very popular, and offers a wide selection of domestic and imported wine available by the glass, bottle, and in tasting servings, with knowledgeable staff to help you choose.
Dubrovik has wonderful beaches; both busier ones right there in the city, or more hidden beaches outside of town as well as private hotel ones. The beaches in Dubrovnik are beautiful and the waters of the adriatic sea are clear with gentle waves.
For a short visit to the beach whilst you are visiting the Old Town, there is Banje beach, which is generally pretty crowded, but still lovely and perfect to stop for a drink at the bar alongside it.
If you prefer a day spent at a more secluded beach, then head to the outskirts of town (but still only five minutes by bus from the old town) and to Sveti Jakov where you can enjoy gorgeous views of Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik has a rich and remarkable history, and there is so much to see and learn about it in the city. The Franciscan Monastery houses one of the oldest operating pharmacies in the world, and the Old Pharmacy still dispenses medicines to old locals who come in. You can visit the peaceful garden in the inner courtyard, and see an array of strange vessels and implements from centuries past.
At War Photo Limited you can browse Photographer Wade Goddard’s unique gallery of Dubrovnik’s bombardment during the Croatian War of Independence, as well as temporary ones from more recent conflicts.
In 1667 an earthquake destroyed the original 12th-century church in Dubrovnik, but now the Cathedral contains rare holy relics within its Baroque exterior, such as the skull and limbs of city patron St Blaise which are encased in shiny casings covered in jewels.
The city walls protected the city from potential invasion since they were built around the 8th century, despite being the target of several sieges even as recently as 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence. Now, a tour of the incredible walls, which are mostly protected by UNESCO, offer a unique view into the Old Town. A tour is the cities top tourist attraction and understandably so – offering glimpses into windows of schools, and much of daily life in Dubrovnik, otherwise unseen.
The summers in Dubrovnik are hot, with lovely warm evenings, perfect for strolling around the city. Dubrovnik has a typical Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers lasting from April to October. During July and August temperatures can reach above 30°C, with the sun pounding down below for 12 to 13 hours per day. June is slightly cooler with temperatures peaking around 28°C.
In the summer evenings, the temperature remains warm, and perfect for enjoying the beer gardens and terraces, such as those at the Buža bars – two incredibly unique bars that are cut into the cliffs and face out onto the beautiful Adriatic. Rainfall is at its lowest during the summer, particularly in summer, but even when it does rain, showers are usually over quickly, plus it helps that the rain is responsible for the lush green scenery.
The sea is also a perfect temperature during the summer months, with temperatures hovering between 22°C and 25°C, perfect for a refreshing swim or snorkel.
Dubrovnik is such a beautiful city, with so much to see and do there, all whilst enjoying the amazing scenery and culture that it has to offer. It’s the perfect place to visit for a short break, or a week away, and I can’t wait to go one day.
Have you ever been to Dubrovnik or anywhere else in Croatia, or would you like to go?
This is a paid partnership with James Villas.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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We were looking at Dubrovnik the other day after hearing an advert on the radio regarding flights from our local airport.
Ah nice – I’m so desperate to go now! x