One more coastal city - Dubrovnik, Croatia

My last stop in Croatia was to the biggest city on the southern tip of Croatia. The city of Dubrovnik - located along the coast and in recent years gained popularity due to the tv show Game of Thrones (GofT) being filmed in the city. While in Dubrovnik, besides learning about GofT, I learned about “Fika” - a constant state of mind, to take your time and chill. I took time to pause and reflect on my trip thus far and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.

I came by ferry to Dubrovnik from Hvar and spent most of my time in the Old Town, by the sea or on top of the hill.

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City walls - stretching a little over 2 km the city walls surround the old town. I walked on the walls and saw the city from various view points, stopping to get some ice cream half way as it was very hot in the beating sun.

Mountain Surj - the best spot to see the sunset is at the top of the mountain. I took the cable car up and then walked down the mountain. I ended up going on two evenings, and enjoying the view with a pizza and some drinks, as it truly is remarkable.

Beach day - I checked out two beaches in the area - Banje beach and Jacob Beach. Banje is closer to Dubrovnik but more crowded, whereas Jacob beach was a 25 min walk, a lot less busy and more enclosed by the cliffs.

Cogito coffee + Gianni Ice cream shop - Cogito is a local coffee shop in a hidden alley, serving up delicious coffee. A street away on Ulica Kneza Damiana Jude is Gianni, serving amazing artisanal ice cream and baked sweets. Both work together and share tasty products. I stopped by multiple times to grab an Afogato, some ice cream or a brownie.

Boat trip to Lokrum - I took a short 15 minute ferry ride to Lokrum island, also known as peacock island, as there are many peacocks rooming around. I went to the coast and saw the rocks, and then swam in a small sea in the middle of the island, called - Dead Sea. Just like to the actual Dead Sea in Jerusalem it was super salty and made it easy to float.

Buza Bar & Cafe Bard - built in the rocks on the sea side of the city wall. Both Buza Bar and Bard Cafe are great spots to grab a drink and then jump into the sea for a quick swim.

Good eats - located in the Old Town, Barba serves up tasty seafood as streetfood. I tried their octopus burger and enjoyed their home brewed beer. Since I was on the coast I had to enjoy some oysters, so I stopped into Kamenice, a tasty spot, recommend by locals. Graczka Kavana, is a great spot for breakfast or just a coffee, since it offers a stunning view of the mountains and water.

Old Town - I did a walking tour with Free Spirit Tours to learn a bit more about Dubrovnik and what's inside the old city walls. The main street, Stradun stretches through the centre. On one end is a Springwater fountain, built back in 1438, and on the other is St. Blaise's Church named after the patron saint of Dubrovnik. On the south side of the old town are beautiful baroque style stairs, more commonly known as the "shame stairs", from Game of Thrones.

Kayaking into the sunset - I joined a pleasant 3 hour kayaking journey around Lokrum Island. We stopped into Betina cave, made our way around Lokrum island and then paddled towards the sunset.

KAWA - a shop just outside the Old Town selling all local products, from food, jewelry, clothing and kitchen products. The owners are lovely and all the things they sell are very unique.

#StandWithUkraine - since Old Town Dubrovnik is a tourist-focused city the support for Ukraine was not as visible. I found one sign in a window with some hand-made flags. I asked around and found out there were more signs and flags in February and March, at the start of the war, but the support is less present now.

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P.S. Thankful for the friends with whom I was able to reunite again, after meeting them on the boat trip in Hvar and for those whom I met in Dubrovnik and spent a few days together exploring the city. Hvala!

Next stop Montenegro!