A Short Break in Dubrovnik, Croatia

We had heard great things about Dubrovnik from friends who had visited including how beautiful it was and as it was just over the border from Montengro we headed there via bus from Budva which cost €20 and took 3½ hours. Upon arrival we were impressed at how picturesque it was, arriving on the road above old town.

A little fed up with accidentally booking accommodation up hills and in an effort to try and reduce costs associated with this, I did a load of research into places to stay and found a lovely little property right near a bus stop and by the water in Mokošica called Apartments and Rooms King. It was a short flight of stairs from the main road with the shops and bus stops and a few steps to the waterfront which was ideal. Our host Ivica was really helpful and although the accomodation was basic we had everything we needed. It was quiet, had good wifi, cooking facilities and fridge and a lovely terrace outside. We enjoyed the views from the water´s edge and the Franjo Tuđman Bridge, and even sat with our morning coffee down there.

Old Town

Perhaps the most famous area of Dubrovnik is the Old Town which overlooks the Adriatic sea. It is known as being one of the worlds finest and well preserved medieval cities and rightly so. We took a few trips into the Old Town during our time there and it is bustling with life and impressive architecture.

Within the walls are an array of bars and restaurants, souvenir shops, art galleries and churches but it is also a vibrant home to many locals who live in the narrow cobbled streets. The town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been restored following the earthquake of 1667 and then afterwards the civil war in the early 1990´s.

We found a lovely bar restaurant within the Old Town called Snek by Congo which did amazing cocktails, a premium price of course for a premium location but we can particularly recommend their white russians and mojitos!

Cable Car

This was probably the shortest and one of the most expensive cable cars we have been on but the sunset views were absolutely spectacular. The cable car only takes 4 minutes to reach 778 metres and cost £19 for a round trip.

At the top you can find the Panorama Restaurant which is very popular especially at sunset. There is also an amphitheatre, a jewellery shop and a souvenir shop. We stayed at the top for about an hour taking in the views. On a clear day you can see 60km however it wasn´t perfect when we were there and was a little hazy, it was still spectacular though both the sea view and the mountains behind.

It definitely got more crowded around sunset and we managed to get a good position by the cross to take in the views. In hindsight we would brought a drink or 2 up with us as there was nowhere to buy anything apart from soft drinks at the top but it didn´t matter as we still saw one of the most spectacular sunsets we had ever seen!

Around Mokošica

We were based right on the border of Mokošica, in the older area near the sea front rather than the highly populated urban area and we took the opportunity to explore further the area around us. We took a walk down through Mokošica on the main road, taking in some of the graffiti featured on the walls up to the main urban area. The graffiti appears to depict the logos of different regiments of brigades formed in the 1990´s in the wake of Croatia´s War of Independence.

Continuing down the main road we passed through Prijevor and Rozat until we reached Komolac and the Ombla river, one of the shortest rivers in the world at only 30 metres or 98ft long. It is only beaten by the Reprua River in Georgia which is 27 metres long, although the Roe River in Montana was considered the shortest river until relatively recently at 30 to 60 metres long.

After a beer stop in Komolac we took the scenic route back with a slow walk along the waterside back to our quarters. It was pretty along the water and we saw the ACI Marina, a church, watched the wildlife by the river and even stumbled across a pirate ship!

Near our apartment was a popular bar and restaurant called Vapor, it is quite quiet round this part of Dubrovnik but there was always a steady stream of customers in the bar, and even better it was just a few steps from our front gate! Result!

Our thoughts on Dubrovnik

It was a really beautiful city and lived up to the expectations set by friends who had visited there before us. We really liked where we stayed, it was quiet and away from the hustle and bustle but we were still able to access the busier town and Old Town easily by a local bus which went past every 20 minutes even til after midnight. Uber also worked really well in Dubrovnik and we were able to get from the bus station and to the ferry port for our next journey easily. If you like hustle and bustle you may wish to stay nearer the Old Town however for us the location was perfect. We decided to move on and visit our final place, the island of Korcula, located just two hours away by ferry from Dubrovnik.

Carol and Nigel

September 2021