Hi travelers: D !!

Here we are with another article, this time we take you to Croatia, the beautiful Eastern European country located on the Adriatic coast.

To celebrate my birthday, we chose to discover another European country, we wanted to make a new destination where we could make interesting visits, learn a little history, but not that 8-),  we also wanted to enjoy the beaches.

In the beginning the choice was a little difficult, the flight prices were increasing every day, we made fast and we booked for Dubrovnik, without inquiring about this destination.

Honestly, Dubrovnik is a beautiful city, but we have a little regretted this choice, the standard of living is very expensive compared to the rest of Croatia, hotels and accommodation located close to the old town were all almost reserved, not to mention the exorbitant prices.

Another very important point is the fact that there are many tourists, it was almost impossible to take a picture without heads (The Game Of Thrones effect: lol:).

Apart from the points mentioned, we liked Dubrovnik with its old town, its walls, its beautiful beaches, its mount Srđ, etc.

Well, let’s stop talking and get down to business;)

TECHNICAL SHEET OF CROATIA

• Capital: Zagreb
  
• Currency: Kuna (HRK), 1 € = 7.41939 HRK / 10 MAD = 6.77593 HRK
  
• Population: 4,154,213 (2017)
  
• Famous cities: Zagreb, Hvar, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Split, Pula
  
• Language: Croatian, English (main foreign language)
  
• Climate: There are several climates in Croatia. The northeastern part of the country has a continental climate whereas the climate of the littoral is Mediterranean.
  
• When to go ? :
  • correct period: April to September
  • favorable period: June to September
    
• Entry formalities:
  
  • For Europeans, valid identity card or passport (for a stay of less than 3 months)
  • For non-Europeans, the multiple entry Schengen visa / residence permit (for a stay of less than 3 months)
• Major airports airports :
  • Zagreb (ZAG)
  •  Pula (PUY)
  •  Zadar (ZAD)
  •  Split (SPU)
  •  Dubrovnik (DBV)
• Time difference: GMT + 01 in winter, GMT + 02 in summer

GET INTO DUBROVNIK FROM THE AIRPORT

Dubrovnik Airport ‘Zračna luka Dubrovnik / Čilipi’ is located about 22 km from the old town (30 min). To reach the airport there are several ways, the best is the shuttle bus airport.

By airport bus

Atlas company offers a shuttle bus that goes every 20-30 min after each plane arrival ,one way trip costs 40 kn / 6 EUR and a round trip is 70 kn / 10 EUR.

You can buy the tickets at Atlas agency at the exit of the airport, if the agency is closed, tickets are sold on the bus, otherwise you can have them online here.

Coming from the airport, the bus stops has two stops: Pile Gate and the bus station in Gruž.

Heading to the airport, buses usually leave from Gruž station 2 hours before each international flight, and 90 minutes before domestic flights, they have a second stop next to the old town towards the cable car to ploče.

If you take the bus near the cable car, try to come early to not miss your flight, the rule is first-come first-off.

By local bus

If you’re in no hurry, you can opt for buses 11 and 27 🙂 the only drawback is the number of stops.

A ticket costs 12 kn / 1.6 Eur if you buy it in a shop / kiosk and 15 Kn / 2 Eur on the bus.

By Taxi

The taxi to the old town costs about 200 Kn / 30 Eur.

Book your accommodation in Dubrovnik here !!

WHAT TO DO , WHAT TO SEE ?

The old Town

Dubrovnik is known by its famous old town, the main entrance is called “Pile gate“, it is located on the west side of the city, while the second entrance named Ploče is located on the east side.

The Pile gate dates from the 15th century, many visitors stop in front of it because it’s the first glimpse of this charming city, which makes the passage a bit tricky given the number of people trying to take the perfect picture.

As soon as you cross the Pile gate and its hundreds of tourists, you arrive on the stradun, or La Placa, it is the main street of the old city.

This street goes to the port while connecting Pile and Ploče gates, it’s about 300 meters. It is usually crowded by people who enjoy cafes and restaurants located at the edges.

The only time to see an empty stradun is early morning, when we were in Dubrovnik, we saw it almost deserted because all Croatians watched their national football team play the quarterfinal of the cup of the world 2018: D.

There are several other famous monuments inside the old town, such as the Onofrio’s Fountain, the Sponza Palace, the two churches of St. Savior and St. Blaise, the Dubrovnik Cathedral and the Franciscan Monastery. .

The old town streets

The old town has many alleys and streets where you can lose yourself to discover, a walk on the heights of the city will make you relaxed from the noise of tourists, you will also work your calves due to the endless number of stairs 😛 , but do not be discouraged !! You will love it 😉

Moreover, it is in these streets where you will find the cheapest restaurants in the city.

Dubrovnik Walls and the Minčeta Tower

The main activity of the old city of Dubrovnik is to walk on the city walls, it remains a mandatory passage during a stay in this beautiful city. These walls are well preserved, and offer a spectacular panorama on the roofs of the city.

We do not hide that this activity is a bit expensive, it’s arround 150 Kn / 20 euros per person (Keep your tickets, the entrance to Fort Lovrijenac is free if you present it;))

The tour of the walls is 2 KM, to access it, you have to go to Pile or Ploče gates, it takes between one and 2 hours to do the complete tour (it depends on the number of break that you will do and also your many photos stops 😀 )

The Minčeta tower is one of the important towers of the city walls. Do not forget to visit it because it offers the most beautiful panorama of the city.

Fort Lovrijenac

Another place worth visiting in Dubrovnik is the 11th century Fort Lovrijenac, also known as the St. Lawrence fortress, it is located outside the city, and can be visited for free if you hold the wall ticket. if no, you pay around 40KN.

GOT fans (Game Of Thrones) will certainly recognize the places, it is one of the places of the shooting.

Dubrovnik from above: Mount Srđ

To admire the beautiful view of the city of Dubrovnik (which you can find on almost any postcard 😛 ), you have to go to Mount Srđ.

To access it, there are three options: The cable car (which we used), by walking or by car.

The cable car is the most used way for tourists to access Mount Srđ, it was built in 1969 and damaged during the war of Dubrovnik in 1991. It was restarted in 2011.

it’s around 150 KN / 20 Eur for a round trip. As soon as you reach the top, try to get away from the official point of view because it is crowded, it is advisable to walk a few hundred meters to afford the best view of the city.

The ports of the city

At the east of the city, as soon as you cross the Placa gate, you arrive at the port. Many small boats and many companies offer excursions to the islands in front of Dubrovnik. There are also several restaurants and a long way that allows for a walk along the harbor.

On the west, there is the small port of Kolorina, which was used for the shooting of some scenes of GOT.

Banje Beach and Sulic Beach

If you visit Dubrovnik in the summer season, do not forget to rest a little, and offer yourself a swim in the Adriatic Sea 😎

Banje Beach in Dubrovnik has one of the most beautiful “view” beaches in Croatia and Europe, it is located in a corner that offers a great view of the old town of Dubrovnik.

It is a popular beach, it is difficult to find any space to settle in high season.

If you want to swim away from the crowds and tourists, you have to go to Sulic beach, it is visited only by locals even in high season, we have discovered it by chance at the end of our visit of Fort Lovrijenac.

The beach is located a few meters from the pile gate.

TRIPS IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF DUBROVNIK

When visiting Dubrovnik, do not JUST visit the Old Town.

On one or two days, you can escape a bit to discover the surroundings of this region, here are my top 5 excursions to do

• Lokrum island
• Budva in Montenegro
• Kotor Bay in Montenegro
• Mostar and Kravice Falls in Bosnia
• Elaphite islands

ITINERARY FOR 2 DAYS

Day 1

Arrived in Dubrovnik, i suggest you fisrt to leave your luggage in your hotel. Before going out to discover the city, make sure you have taken your towel, swimsuit and fresh bottle of water 😎

Head to the Pile Gate and take the Stradun, take a stroll in the hidden streets of the old town, do not forget to find a nice little restaurant.

In the afternoon, go to the port of the city and continue to Banje beach 😉

In the late evening, return back to the old town, the atmosphere is superb, you will love it 🙂

Day 2

The second day is here, put your most comfortable sneakers to go around the walls, do not forget your water bottle and your camera to take the most beautiful panoramic shots of the city.

After two hours of walks on the walls, there is no better than a traditional ice cream to recover your strength 😛

Once you have rested, Fort Lovrijenac awaits you (I hope you do not throw away your wallets;)), at the end of the visit, if you want to cool off the sweltering heat, go down the steps towards Sulic beach, otherwise, it’s time to break the crust 😀 for this, go to Barba for a small sandwich with sardines or seafood 😉

Do not leave Dubrovnik without taking the cable car to Mount Srđ, it will be the last activity of the day, to enjoy the beautiful sunset on the Elaphite Islands.

WHERE TO EAT ?

Inside the old town, you will find a big choice of restaurants all along the Stradun, but in general, these restaurants are plenty of tourists.

You can also try to walk parallel streets, be brave, climb the steps and explore the city, you will surely find a nice restaurant with fewer tourists.

As for us, we tasted Mediterranean specialties at Barba, it’s a small fastfood that offers seafood, the place is very popular, we waited a little but it was worth it.

Our favorite was Pizza Castro, it’s an Italian restaurant that offers very good Pizzas, the service is super fast, the staff is friendly and the price is right, apparently it’s the best pizza in the old town.

A valuable tip before going to a restaurant in Dubrovnik, take a look at TripAdvisor reviews, we had a bad surprise in one of the restaurants (shame we forgot the name) .

Book your accommodation in Dubrovnik here !!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION OF DUBROVNIK

How to get there ?

• From Morocco:
  • Several flights with stops from Casablanca, Marrakech with TUIfly / Eurowings, Iberia, Air France and Brussels airlines to:
    • • Dubrovnik
      • Zagreb
      • Split
      • Pula
        
• From France :
  • several direct flights from Paris CDG airport and Lyon Saint exupery with Transavia, Easyjet, Croatia airlines, air france

How to move ?

You do not need public transport if you stay near the city.

If you want to take the bus:

• 15 kn on the bus
• 12 kn in tisaks (newsstand)

For schedules, it’s here 😉

Must do ?

• Walls of Dubrovnik
• Fort Lovrijenac
• Minčeta Tower
• Le Mont Srđ

where to sleep ?

Go to this link to find the hotel that suits you.

Where to eat ?

You will find several restaurants located on the Stradun in the old town, also try to go in parallel streets, Do not be afraid to climb the steps, you will find restaurants hidden everywhere;).

Our favorite: Pizzeria Castro 😉 😉

What should I do before leaving?

• Book your hotel on Booking.com
• Buy the Routard Guide of Croatia on Amazon.fr
• Buy Lonely Planet Croatia on Amazon.fr

Book your accommodation in Dubrovnik here !!