Our Croatian Adventure - Things to do in Dubrovnik

Today marks the last of my Croatian travel posts, I've really enjoyed doing these little recaps and I'm especially proud of the fact that they'll serve as a travel diary full of hints and inspiration for any would be Croatian travellers.

As I only really explored Old Town Dubrovnik, this post will focus on bits and pieces to do in and around this area. What I would say as my first handy tip is that the water fountains all have drinkable water so be sure to keep a water bottle on you and keep refilling whenever you get the chance. You can no doubt spot a chap to the right of the frame doing just this!

One of the great things about Dubrovnik is that it's a great city to just waddle around at your own pace. Most of the pathways on the main strip are paved with limestone which has become so polished over the years that it almost looks like glass.

The main street is called Placa or Stradun and is full of cute little shops and boutiques including a pirate sweet shop (yes I ventured in, yes it was awesome) which sold giant gummy bears, enormous cola bottles and humongous fried eggs which would bring joy to any person. There were also pharmacies complete with all of my favourite brands such as Avene, Vichy and Ren so a great place for beauty lovers as well.

Of course, there are many side streets which are also worth your time as they sell a variety of wares ranging from olive oil, chutneys and brandies to Game of Thrones memorabilia and art work by local artists. Be warned however, many streets do involve steps!

I believe that during the week the square situated by the Rectors Palace also plays host to a farmers market making Dubrovnik quite the destination for foodies. Here you can purchase many local delights including candied orange peel for which every family has their own recipe, no two bags will be alike.

Aside from general wandering, there are plenty of places to visit in Dubrovnik including the Cathedral above, the Rectors Palace as previously mentioned and several gardens which are tucked away.

If that doesn't take your fancy, then I would highly suggest a walk around the City Walls which offers some amazing views of the Old Town.

If however, the City Walls aren't quite high enough for you, then perhaps a trip up the Dubrovnik cable car will be more to your liking?

A round trip costs around 108 Kuna per person and the views from the top are spectacular. It takes around 4 minutes to ride to the top which is situated 405 metres above sea level. 

From the top you have a wonderful view of the Old Town, the island of Lokrum and far beyond. We were lucky enough to have visited on a clear day so we could see for miles.

 Another view from the top

The newer side of Dubrovnik

Sorry, I couldn't help sharing so many photographs from the top. It really was beautiful up there. If you're so inclined there is a cafe serving food and drinks, a gift shop and of course, there's a toilet so don't panic about being caught short.

Once you're back on the ground, then be sure to take some time to explore a little outside of the city walls. If nothing else, it offers a break from plethora of tourists.

When all is said and done I'd recommend heading home via ferry as it lets you see the city in a new light. We took the ferry to and from Dubrovnik via Cavtat which took about 45 minutes each way at a cost of 9 Kuna each return if I remember rightly.

Our Croatian Adventure - The Game of Thrones Tour

One of the things Ad and I were most keen to do during our stay in Croatia was to visit Dubrovnik and go on the Game of Thrones Tour. This is basically a 3 hour tour which takes in some of the most famous filming sites throughout the city with a little bit of history thrown in for good measure.

Our tour left at 10:30am and started by taking in the famous Lovrijenac Fortress which forms the setting for several scenes throughout the series.

Some might know it as the Red Keep but our guide had several screen shots which showed that this also formed the setting for scenes from the purple wedding, the famous scene where Tyrion slapped a certain someone around a little and also where the Hound saved Sansa.

The heat throughout the day was certainly unrelenting, but the view from the very top of the fortress made it all worthwhile.

From the top, you could see the city walls and the setting for the battle of Blackwater Bay.

It was also an ample spot to take in the island of Lokrum which was used as the setting for scenes based in Qarth. We didn't have time to visit Lokrum this time around but if we venture back to Croatia, this'll be on our hit list.

The Game of Thrones production team only used Dubrovnik Old Town during filming and it was certainly easy to see why as we wandered through the streets. Most of the buildings have retained their charm and original features including the unmistakable red mismatched clay tile roofs.

If you're interested, it's possible to do tours by kayak or boat which take in some of the local islands and give you a glimpse of the walls from a distance.

From the top of the fortress you can also view the primary setting for the Purple Wedding. Our guide told us that it was not unusual for tourists to come and lay flowers at the final resting place for the fallen King Joffrey.

Our guide also informed us that the filming of the Blackwater Bay scenes was not easy owing to the fact that Dubrovnik has a rather dated sewage system which has a tendency to run into the ocean during bad weather.

She assured us that the extras well compensated if they were affected!

From the Red Keep, the tour progressed throughout the city taking in various locations such as this one from Season 5 (think of the sparrows if you're struggling to place it) the Pile Gate where the peasants revolted against King Joeffry, which you can see below, and the setting for Little Fingers brothel.

We also took in the Walk of Shame which you can see below and were told that this particular area of Dubrovnik is actually based on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Having been to both I can certainly see the resemblance. Ad and I did our own tongue in cheek version of the walk of shame which involved me hitting Ad repeatedly over the head with his camera bag shouting "shame" as Ad filmed. Life is for having fun people!

Shortly after this we headed to the Rectors Palace where Dany asks for ships to take her army across the Narrow Sea before heading on over to the City Walls to conclude our tour.

The views from the top of the walls were amazing and on a clear day, it felt as though you could see for miles and miles.

As a word of warning I would say that there is a lot of going up and down stairs, so if you struggle, then a walk around the walls may not be for you.

In addition, there aren't very many shady spots so if you can, avoid going mid-day as this is obviously when the sun is at its hottest. If you can't avoid the mid-day sun and you're on a tour, then do make sure you have plenty of water with you and a hat.

The views from up here are unparalleled and well worth your time. If you're not on a tour, the entrance fee to the City Walls is 100 Kuna (£10) and I would say it's worth every penny.

Our tour took us onto the City Walls to take in the setting for the House of the Undying, or Minceta Tower as it's known in Dubrovnik. This is the highest point on the wall (which stretches for around 2km) and is the best place for taking a few panoramic snaps of the Old Town.

Overall, I really enjoyed our tour, at around £40ish I had questioned whether it would be worth the money but given it included all of our entrance fees and so many location spots (which I doubt we would have found on our own) I felt it was worth every penny. As the tour finished around lunch time, it meant we still had an entire afternoon to explore Dubrovnik before heading back to Cavtat.

Have you done the Game of Thrones tour? Would you be indulging your inner geek if you ventured to Dubrovnik?

Our Croatian Adventure - Things to Do in Cavtat Part 2

If you tend to get a little stir crazy whilst on holiday, then this post may be for you. Today, I'm sharing just a couple of excursions which you can indulge in whilst in Cavtat. Of course, there are many many more options available on top of the two which I'm talking about today but I wanted to ensure we had plenty of time to relax by the sea during our short 7-day trip away.

First up on the list is our half day sea kayaking tour which we booked with Adventure Cavtat. This is a 2.5-3 hour tour which leaves from Cavtat harbour. This trip allows you to take in the Old Town from a distance before following the coast line towards an uninhabited island.

Throughout the trip you make a few stops whereby your guide will tell you a little about the history of Cavtat and share some local legends (and take a few shots of you in action if you ask nicely!).

Once you reach the island, there's time for a scrummy sandwich and some water before a short trek around the island itself.

If you fancy, there's also the opportunity to dive into a lagoon for a spot of swimming or snorkelling before heading back out to sea to complete the journey home.

This was one of our favourite parts of the trip, not least of all because it was just me, the other half and our tour guide Antonija. It felt like we'd had a private tour! We'd never been kayaking before, and whilst it was a little choppy at times on the sea, it was great to try something new.

Oh, and in case you're worried, you're given big waterproof barrels for all of your belongings so they won't get damaged or wet while you're out and about. As you've no doubt spotted, we were given life jackets as well, just in cases of course.

The other excursion we indulged in was the Elafiti Islands cruise on a replica galleon ship. After all, who doesn't want to feel like a pirate for the day?

During this day long tour which leaves from Dubrovnik, you will visit Kolocep, Sipan and Lopud all the while soaking up the Dalmatian sunshine.

This was probably one of the most expensive tours we did, but the price included the day long trip, some live music during our travels and a traditional lunch consisting of fish, vegetables and wine.

The first island was Kolocep which was the smallest of the islands. I was quite surprised to spot a hotel and a proper sandy beach here given that there are no cars or proper roads on the island at all.

We had about 30 minutes of free time here so we took a slow dawdle around the coast line before venturing back to the ship to continue on our travels.

Next up was Sipan which was the largest of the three islands we visited. Here you could still see some of the effects of the war with many buildings missing their roof or looking rather dilapidated. We'd been told the planning rules were quite rigid which meant locals would simply buy a new home as opposed to fixing their old one as they simply could not afford it. 

Here, we took the opportunity to venture to the local church and climb the many steps to the top of church tower.

From the top, you could see for miles and take in all of the olive groves.

Once we finished, we took some time to look around the church before heading back to the boat again for a bite to eat and to continue onto our final stop.

Again, you can see that the churches here are massively different to those we saw in Rome. They're certainly more modest for a start!

The final island on our tour was Lopud where we had the opportunity to hang about for around 3 hours before heading home.

Here we ventured to the local monastery, the local gardens and decided to sit back and relax on the beach.

We had hoped to venture a little further afield, however, the heat was so stifling that it felt like a little too much for us.

Seeking shade in the gardens seemed like one of the best things which we could do to battle the heat. That and scoffing an ice cream or two alongside downing as much water as you could manage in a short space of time.

After a fairly chilled out day, it was time to head home. It was at this time our captain pulled down the sails to take advantage of the windy weather and draw us home even faster.

All in all, I think we made the right choice with these two excursions as they were certainly a great way to get about and take in more of the country in a short space of time. If I had to pick only one tour, it'd be the kayaking as it was just amazing and so much fun. Not to mention, it was a frikken great work out to boot!

Next week I'll be talking Dubrovnik and Game of Thrones! I hope you're enjoying my mini travel series so far and that it's inspiring you to head to Croatia. Ad and I would go back in a heartbeat if we had the opportunity.