Why Dubrovnik?
Nini went on a trip with three girlfriends in August: from Sarajevo to Mostar by train (“the most beautiful train ride you will ever take in your life!”), and to Dubrovnik, Montenegro, and to Albania by bus and cab. “I had vaguely heard about Dubrovnik, I knew it had to do with the series ‘Game of Thrones (GoT)’. I had seen a few episodes, but I wasn’t a die-hard fan. But because of that, I did know that Dubrovnik is located in a very beautiful area, with a fort by the water. And it was on our route so we thought: let’s go there for two days!”
What immediately caught your attention in Dubrovnik?
Nini and her friends took the bus to Dubrovnik. “The road that takes you to the city is really beautiful! You immediately see the sea and the beautiful mountainous surroundings. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see more than that. If I were to go back again, I would want to explore the area more. Based on my experience now, it seems very beautiful.” Good to know: the city center is fairly flat, but in the surrounding areas, it is very hilly. “So in the summer you might be puffing, sighing, and groaning. A trip to the supermarket felt like a complete workout. And yet we saw quite a few people who were running – I definitely would not do that.”
“The old city wall, beautiful islands and nature, behind the scenes of ‘Game of Thrones’, botanical gardens, sunbathing on the beach: something for everyone!”
What are your recommendations?
- Explore the city! What to do for sure? “Go up the city wall of the fortress. You’ll have a super nice view of (the rooftops of) Dubrovnik.” A tip: don’t go in the middle of the day, as it will be a quite hot.
- Visit the beautiful island of Lokrum (and there are more islands, so for island lovers, a boat tour is definitely recommended). “Go to the city center and catch the ferry to the island of Lokrum. You can have a nice walk there and if you are a GoT fan you should definitely go there, as this is also where filming took place for the series. An activity for the bucket list is a photo while sitting in the famous throne made of swords.” But there are also botanical gardens and you can sunbathe on the beach: there is something for everyone!
- Go eat at restaurant Poklisar. “The tuna steak was very tasty. But it should be for that price. Dubrovnik is bizarrely expensive.”
- Elaborating on tip 3: Sleep in an Airbnb where you can cook for yourself. “Everything is very expensive in Dubrovnik. That’s why we chose to book a place to sleep with a kitchen, so we didn’t have to eat out every day.” Or another tip from Nini: “Combine Dubrovnik with some surrounding countries. Montenegro, Bosnia and Albania, for example, are cheaper.”
What would you not recommend?
Nini had amazing days in Dubrovnik, but in terms of timing, she would do things differently next time. “I wouldn’t recommend going to Dubrovnik in August because it’s really busy. The city is flooded with tourists. We also slept near the entrance to the fortress, where there are many restaurants and souvenir shops. It was ridiculously crowded – I’ve never seen it as crowded in my life as it was there.” According to Nini, it doesn’t detract from the beauty of Dubrovnik itself, but if you want it to be quieter, don’t go in the peak season.
What is your fondest memory?
Nini says that she definitely recommends going to Dubrovnik. “It’s very beautiful there. There is a popular viewpoint on a rocky cliff, where you look out over the sea. My friends and I were standing there at sunset. The colours of the sky were magical. It was very special to share that memory with my friends.”
