Mr C Wandering around Dubrovnik city walls
My first, and so far, only visit to Dubrovnik was with my very good friends Mr and Mrs Foodie. We were staying in a local, family-run hostel in Lapad, 2 miles north of the historic centre, which looked onto the main port, where cruise ships dock daily in summer.
The owner of the hostel gave us a very personal account of how life was during the conflict which engulfed this beautiful part of the world in the nineties.
But the day which sticks most in my mind during our visit, was when Mr and Mrs Foodie left the hostel early in the morning, and decided to take an excursion to one of the nearby islands. I made other plans off the cuff, due to being…lazier and having a longer sleep! I decided to visit the old town which was within the historic city walls. There is a bus, but it was a lovely day so I walked, which took about 30 minutes.
On arrival at the old town, you are greeted by a large entrance to the city walls. Inside is a bustling, thriving, historic town, made up of beautiful architecture, local vendors, and a maze of small streets and alleys. Not to mention – loads of tourists like myself, which was hardly surprising given the stunning location, and equally stunning weather.
Following a leisurely stroll through the old town streets and alley, a delicious strawberry ice-cream cone from one of the many vendors, and countless photo opportunities, I plumped for the official tour of the old city walls.
A little piece of advice if you visit Dubrovnik in summer: if like me you’re fair skinned, take plenty of sunscreen, especially for the tour of the walls. There’s a lot of walking involved, and in the heat and sun, I had to reapply my lotion on two occasions. Stock up on plenty of water too.
The views on offer from almost every part of the walls were breath-taking, both looking
into the old town, and out to sea. Following all this walking in the over 30 degrees heat and sun, I would’ve been forgiven for getting a bus or taxi back to our digs. However, I decided to walk back the same route, stopping on several occasions for some water, and photos of the landscape.
I caught up with Mr and Mrs Foodie later in the evening, and we shared our experiences of the day. All positive I’m glad to say. Later on, I decided to take a wander around the area where our home for the trip was based. A short walk from our location, was a lovely, small pebble beach and a number of shops, bars, restaurants and hotels. All tastefully done, and in no way too ‘touristy’.
On my travels, I came across a pub which just happened to be the local Celtic Supporters Club (we came across a Celtic pub in Sarajevo too)! I know it won’t be to everyone’s taste, but being a fan, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to pop inside, where there was the usual team/football memorabilia, which would be of interest to any fan. The barman advised me that the place had been there for approx 25 years!
I was only planning to have one or two beers here, but i got chatting to a lovely family from Manchester. Some time later, after stories of Manchester and Glasgow, not to mention the beautiful Dubrovnik, and a little bit merry, I headed home to the hostel and hit the hay.
I left Dubrovnik with some great memories, and certainly do plan on going back. I’d recommend that if you get the chance to visit, definately go for it, you won’t be disapponted.
Mr C
Address: main entrance to walls just inside Pile Gate
Contact: citywallsdubrovnik.hr
Opening hours: daily 8am-7pm (summer); 9am-3pm (winter)
Admission: 150 Kn (2017 price)
Come say hello
