Is there a more visually stunning city than Dubrovnik?
Nicknamed the Pearl of the Adriatic, this destination is sure to capture your gaze.
Between it’s white limestone buildings, bright terracotta rooftops and cobalt blue
waters that sparkle under the sunlight, it’s understandable if you end up having a camera
glued to your hands your whole visit.
For us, this was the final stop of our travels in Croatia, and what a way to finish of our
trip.
We walked up, down, and around the Old Town clocking thousands of steps each day, and
in this video we’re going to take you on a tour of of the city and show you 15 things
to do in Dubrovnik.
Alright guys so I'm heading down to the Old Town right now and I just wanted to show you
the views that we get from the hill over here.
You can see all of Dubrovnik down there.
The whole walled city (Dubrovačke gradske zidine) but we have to earn these views every
single day.
It is 440 steps.
Alright guys we've only been here a few minutes and we've just walked in through one of the
gates.
And check out the views we are already getting like this is postcard perfect.
This is our first introduction to Dubrovnik.
I mean it can only get better from here.
Sam is just loving every minute.
Busy at work.
Taking photos.
Yep.
Taking videos.
In his element.
Exactly.
We entered the Old Town through Ploće Gate, which is in the east end of the city.
Here we kicked off the morning with a nice stroll along the Old Port, which is where
we also met the most agile cat in the world!
It is okay.
Oh look at that.
Oh look at the cat.
Oh my gosh.
There is no way the cat is going to do it.
Yeah he's going to do it.
He's going to fall in the water.
Do it!
No!
Do it.
No!
Do it!
Woah!!!
After that impressive display of feline acrobatics, we continued exploring the Old Town on foot.
Our next stop: Dubrovnik Cathedral (Katedrala Velike Gospe), which has seen a few expansions
and reconstructions over the years, and at one point was even funded by England’s King
Richard the Lionheart, after he was saved from a shipwreck on the nearby island of Lokrum.
(Bells ringing)
We then wandered over to Gundulić Square where a few vendors had set up for the day,
and as usual, it didn’t take us long to sniff out a few treats.
Orange peel, figs, almonds.
That one is all mixed?
Yeah this is everything together but if you want and also you have some walnuts.
So it is time for a mid-morning snack.
We saw a man who was selling traditional Croatian sweets.
Yeah.
So we were like yeah we'll get some of those.
Basically dried fruit right?
Dried fruit.
Dried sweet fruit.
We paid 3 Euros and we've already been munching a little bit.
Oh yeah.
Um my parents have got into that too.
Yes.
But basically we have some candied orange, we have some dried figs and we also have almonds.
Um so yeah I'm just going dig right in.
Little bit dig right in.
Nice little sugar boost as we're walking around.
Fan of the what did I call these?
Almonds.
Mmmm.
And our family friend Val said that the dried orange peel was her favorite.
So why don't you try that?
That is so good.
Okay.
Try one of those.
Try one of these.
I feel bad.
Sam's Mom paid for these and I'm already snacking them.
Don't worry I'll give her some.
I'll give her some.
Is it good?
Oh.
Sweet?
Wow.
Sweet?
Surprisingly sweet.
Yes.
I don't think I've ever had orange peel before.
I have.
It is usually really sweet.
I think they add extra sugar to that.
Mmmhmm.
To be honest.
Yeah nice little snack.
We also made a stop at the famed Big Onofrio Fountain, which was built in 1438 as part
of a water system that supplied water from a spring 12km away.
Alright we've got a pretty cool public water fountain here within the walls.
That is one of the coolest drinking water fountains I've ever seen.
Yeah.
Check that out.
I've been building up not only appetite walking around and also quite a bit of thirst so I'm
going to just.
He's going right in.
Going right in.
Oh yeah that is refreshing and the best part is that it is cold.
Zero after-taste.
It is really really clean water.
Nice.
Then, another attraction unexpectedly caught our attention: The Old Pharmacy at the Franciscan
Monastery.
Founded in the year 1317, this in-house pharmacy was set up by Franciscan friars and would
go on to service the town as well as people living beyond the walls.
And to keep with tradition, there’s still a pharmacy within the monastery today, though
with a few modern touches added.
So that was a pretty cool attraction.
We got to visit the cloisters but we also set foot in what is believed to be the 3rd
oldest pharmacy in the whole world.
So it is pretty cool.
We got to read through these old medical textbooks and like botanical books so it is pretty interesting
and I mean you can't beat the views of this cloister.
It is pretty stunning.
They've got like some lemon trees or orange trees in here.
So yeah nice spot.
Then, we made a brief stop to try and visit the Rector’s Palace (Knežev dvor), which
was built in the late 15th century for the elected rector who governed Dubrovnik.
Unfortunately, we were there just as they were finishing up renovations, but by the
time you are watching this, it should be open to the public once more.
But now a quick break from all the sightseeing to meet some of Dubrovnik’s cats.
Oh hello meowsies.
Two friendly kitties.
Oh yes.
Hi Meowsers.
The following morning I made my way into town solo to catch one of the first sightseeing
boat tours.
This particular tour was called the “Panorama Excursion” and it departed from the Old
Port and went out around Lokrum Island.
You can’t go wrong with the views anywhere in Dubrovnik, and looking back on the Old
Town was just spectacular!
Then later that day, I met Sam for lunch, because if there’s one thing I’ll show
up for, it’s food!
We decided to eat at Mea Culpa, and ordered one Dalmatian Pizza and one Seafood Pizza.
Alright pizza for the win guys.
It has been a while and we couldn't leave Croatia without having one more pizza.
Outside of Italy I don't think we've had better pizza than in Croatia.
Yes.
So I got the Dalmatian one.
Cherry tomatoes, black olives, proscuitto, arugoleta, sausage and egg.
And I got the fruitti di mare.
The seafood one.
In we go.
In you go.
Mmmm.
How is it?
Mmmm.
Delicious?
It is just lovely.
It has got big pieces of proscuitto.
So much cheese.
Oh yum.
And I drizzled the chilli pepper oil.
Yep.
Which is so good.
And also Sam did you see this?
This is so not Sam's ideal topping.
What?
The raw egg.
Oh my gosh.
That is an egg in the middle.
That was an interesting ingredient choice.
Yeah.
Are you going to break it now or later?
No, I'm going to let it cook more.
Oh okay.
Let the heat of the pizza.
That is funny.
Yeah, that is definitely not a topping I'd order.
So far so good.
Cool.
Mmmm.
Seafood pizza for Sam.
Seafood pizza my absolute favorite.
Fruitti di mare.
In he goes.
Oh wow.
I need a bit of seafood.
You're right about the cheese.
Like generous amount of cheese.
Oh yeah.
Lots of cheese.
So good.
And it also tastes like they've blended the cheeses not just mozarella.
And after that wonderful meal, it was time for the main attraction: walking around Dubrovnik’s
Old City walls (Dubrovačke gradske zidine).
What do you think?
This is incredible and we couldn't have asked for better weather.
I know.
And it is not too crowded.
Like this is just the right time of year.
Yes.
We are here in March and like this whole section we've almost got to ourselves.
There is just like a couple of others.
Admission is 150 kuna which is a bit over 20 USD, and it’s roughly a 2 kilometres
walk that takes about 1 hour to complete.
The first set of walls were built in the 9th century, and then in the 14th century these
were strengthened with forts along the circumference.
In our opinion, this attraction is worth the price tag.
Oh my goodness oh my goodness.
Yeah.
That was a long walk in the sun.
I would say it took us over an hour.
Wouldn't you?
Yeah.
They say the estimated time is an hour but if you're taking lots of photos and videos
like us yeah give yourself an extra half hour we're the slow pokes.
If not more.
And if you can't complete the full loop there are a few different exit points yes along
the way and I think we saw like 3 or 4 yeah.
Another thing to keep in another thing to keep in mind is there are refreshment stations
periodically.
Yes.
And also there are a few sections where I wish I was 3 foot one instead of six foot
one.
Oh my gosh.
Because both sides of the walls were really short.
I was kind of bending my knees.
It was up to our knees.
Yep.
Like the wall only reached up to our knees.
So if you get vertigo or you don't like heights.
It is kind of like woah I'm exposed.
But there is just a few sections and it is worth powering through because yes it is absolutely
incredible.
Like if there is one thing you have to do in Dubrovnik it is this.
The wall.
Like if that is all you had time to do in this city I would say go and do that wall
tour because yeah it is unbelievable.
The views you get and not just from a few points but from everywhere.
Yeah.
It is just stunning.
Gelito Gelato.
So I went for strawberry and Sam went for I went for um let me think.
Creme caramel.
Oh.
And pistachio which I've almost ate completely.
And if we've learned a thing or two about ice cream about gelato in Italy it is that
when you have neon colors yep it is usually not natural.
But we don't care.
It is not super natural.
You know what?
We're going to let this neon green pass.
It has been tasting really good after that long walk.
Yeah.
Along the wall.
And it is also pretty decent for given that it is not the most natural.
Mmmhmm.
And I will say this too that it was a good price 10 Kuna per scoop so yeah 10 Kuna each
for a cone.
After that quick ice cream break, we walked over to Fort Lovrijenac, also known as St.
Lawrence Fortress.
Perched on a cliff 37 meters above the sea, this fortress dominates sea and land entrances
from the western side of the city.
The fortress also has a fascinating story behind this place!
It turns out, at the start of the 11th century, the Venetians intended to build their own
fortress in this very spot to hold Dubrovnik powerless, but when the locals learned of
this plan, they decided to beat the Venetians to it.
They began building immediately, completing their fortress within three months time, and
when the Venetian ships finally arrived with building materials, they discovered they’d
been outsmarted by the people of Dubrovnik.
Well that was impressive.
Quite possibly the best views of the Old Town to be honest.
Yes.
With the light.
Especially this time of day.
Come in the afternoon biggest tip ever.
Anyways what Game Of Thrones fans will be thrilled to hear is that your city wall ticket
allows you access into here.
Yeah, even if you're not a fan of the show I mean it is worth yeah it coming since you've
already paid.
Good point.
I mean it is worth exploring.
It is cool going on the different levels looking out at the different vantage points and you
get the most amazing view of the Old Town of Dubrovnik from here.
So just past the fortress we've found this nice little park.
It is a little escape from the city center.
And it is just uh it is nice.
There is a breeze coming in this morning.
We're going to go for a little walk.
And yeah it is kind of nice to do something that maybe only locals would do here.
Just like the fortress we had previously visited, Gradac Park, was also used as one of the Game
of Thrones filming locations, so you may recognize it from the Purple Wedding.
And then we made a stop at Buza Bar, which is great place for drinks anytime of day,
but especially so around sunset.
Chiangy chang.
So we are wrapping up the day here at Buza Bar which I think may have the best views.
You are looking right out into the Adriatic Sea.
By the water.
Yeah.
Yes.
It is amazing.
But here is the kicker.
We're a little bit too lazy to stay here right until sunset so it is close enough.
Close to sunset.
Close to sunset and then we're going to walk back up the hill to our apartment because
we get some pretty good views from our balcony.
Yeah but here is the thing.
It is almost 500 steps each way.
So by the time we make it up.
four forty something.
Four forty something.
Imagine all of the steps we've done around the wall.
We're talking thousands of steps today guys.
I'm going to need a nap when we get back.
So this is what the end of our days usually looks like.
What is the deal?
I'm already beat but apparently we have something like is it either 441 or 481 I can't exactly
remember.
Our family friend Val couldn't the amount of steps.
That is how many steps we have to go to our house.
But it is so worth it when we get there guys we're going to pour ourselves a glass of wine
and show you the views.
We're probably going to give you a bit of a sunset view and maybe a bit of blue hour
tonight as well.
So let's get up there.
Alright.
Start climbing my friend.
There he goes.
So we had our siesta.
And now it is time for sunset views and wine.
Sunset on the balcony.
This is the best time of the day.
And this is also where we'll be wrapping up our guide.
We had a really good time in Dubrovnik.
Yes.
We were only here for 2 days but we really like man we did a lot.
Yeah.
So if you're coming you can definitely do this on a weekend trip.
Obviously if you have more time that is nice too.
But um yeah we had a great time and we'd highly recommend you come visit.
So cheers to that.
Cheers to that.
Glug glug glug glug.
Oh yeah.
And that’s a wrap for Dubrovnik and the rest of our time in Croatia!
As always, we hope you enjoyed following along and that this video gave you a few ideas of
some of the things you can do in Dubrovnik on your visit.
Wishing you happy travels, and we’ll see you in the next video where we’re off to
Greece!