Dubrovnik, Croatia has an aura about it. The name just sounds European exotic. You are constantly berated by pictures of Dubrovnik on social media and to see it for yourself is to realize the photos don’t even do it justice. You could spend a week in Dubrovnik and base yourself for day trips to neighboring countries, cities and islands but you can really get to know the Old Town pretty quickly. Here’s how I spent a day in Dubrovnik.

I had previously been to Dubrovnik. In fact, I spent my 29th birthday in Dubrovnik a few years ago. During summer Dubrovnik is overrun with tourists. This is a fact and it cannot be avoided but like I always say, ‘tourists only go to good places’. So there’s a reason they all want to see Dubrovnik. It’s awesome!

Dubrovnik was the last stop on an 1100-mile Balkans road trip. We stayed in a little pension like most hotels in the Old Town. If you’re going to stay in Dubrovnik you definitely want to stay in Old Town because you can easily walk everywhere and walking around Old Town is the seminal thing to do.

I could literally walk forever through the confusing streets in the perfectly preserved Old City. I would say it’s the best walled city in the world and it’s really not even close. The streets are all made of marble and the ramparts stand atop the walled city that seals it in from the rest of Dubrovnik.

Walking the ramparts is a special experience and the top thing to do in Dubrovnik. I highly recommend getting to the gate before 8am and be the first up the wall so you feel like you have it all to yourself. It’s a completely different feel than when it’s crowded-much like the Great Wall of China, it makes all the difference in your photos and experience.

I also recommend getting a glimpse of the Old City from above. If the weather is good, the cable car goes some 400 meters above the Old City for a great view. If it’s closed, as it often is because of wind, you can take a car or taxi up as well. I definitely recommend this.

As far as food and drinks, the best place for a sunset cocktail and to really relax is at Buza Bar on the south wall. Ask any local and they can point you in the right direction. It’s the best view in the Old City although it’s much more expensive than normal bars in town-like 5-6 times more.

For food, there are so many choices and you really can’t go wrong. Ask a local for recommendations based on the type of food you want. However, given the geographic location, the Mediterranean and Italian food is all pretty good. I’ve been told Nautika is an excellent option although I wasn’t able to get there myself.

So that is how I would and did spend a day in Dubrovnik, one of the world’s most attractive places to visit. There’s a lot to see and do in the area so plan ahead and include a day in Dubrovnik in a larger trip in the Adriatic or Balkans.

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