Dubrovnik

Day 466 (October 6, 2019) – Dubrovnik, Croatia

At some point on this trip we got tired of bus rides. When we were planning the last leg of our trip around the Balkans, we were really trying to use train lines to connect the dots on our travel map. We found train journeys more relaxing, entertaining, and convenient than sitting on a bus for hours. So rather than thinking of where we wanted to go, we were instead thinking, where can the train take us? Well, we soon realized that the trains around the Balkans were not like their central European counterparts. It was near impossible to plan an itinerary entirely by train. There are sections of track closed for construction in random places (like the short distance between Novi Sad and Belgrade), and disputes between countries have effectively closed certain international routes (like the connection between Zagreb and Sarajevo). As a result, we ended up on a handful of buses.

The Croatian coast along the Adriatic.

The most frustrating bus trip in the Balkans was our connection between Kotor and Dubrovnik. It started out well. The bus followed a highway that paralleled the shores of the Bay of Kotor. We had a chance to see all the little towns along the way and the scenery from different vistas around the bay. We even crossed the border out of Montenegro quite easily. Everyone had to get off the bus and go one-by-one up to the customs window to get their passport inspected and stamped. We all then got back on the bus and drove five minutes up the road to the Croatian check point where we pulled into the bus line. We were dismayed to discover that there were 4 or 5 buses ahead of us in line. We have no idea where they all came from, but we had to wait for what felt like forever as each bus, in turn, let all their passengers off to get stamps and then back on to continue their trip. We eventually made it to the front of the line, got our stamps, and made it back on the road. The rest of the ride was beautiful, though. Just like the ride from Bar, the highway followed seaside cliffs the entire way.

One of the Dubrovnik harbors, with two cruise ships in port.

Once in Dubrovnik, we checked into our new Airbnb apartment. The bus station was located next to a huge cruise ship terminal, and the walk to the apartment took us past a harbor packed with all different sized boats. Dubrovnik was quite expensive compared to where we had come from, and we couldn’t afford to stay in Old Town. We also couldn’t afford to stay on the beaches northwest of Old Town, so we were essentially right in the middle. Not very close to anything, but still walkable to everywhere, at least by our standards.

The coastline was nothing less than stunning. This was along our walk from our apartment to Old Town.

After dropping our bags of and getting ourselves oriented, we decided to walk into Old Town. We had to walk up and over a huge hill, but at the top there was an area where you could look out over the water and the coastline. Continuing down the other side, we made it to the entrance of Old Town. There were a million people there. I mean, it was packed. It was crazy. We hadn’t realized that Dubrovnik was such a draw for tourism. But once we made it through the old city walls, we understood why. The whole town is constructed from the same beige and yellow stone. There are wide main avenues, but there are also narrow alleyways to get lost in. The architectural style is consistent across all of town. Everywhere we turned there was a new restaurant or a little shop. It’s really impressive, but there were so many people there. It wasn’t even high season, so I can’t imagine what it’s like during the height of summer. We’re also aware that Dubrovnik became even more popular because Game of Thrones was apparently filmed there, although neither of us have seen it, so it didn’t mean much to us. That night we ended up at burger joint for dinner and walked back home by way of the giant hill.

Our first walk through Dubrovnik's Old Town.

The streets are charming in the evening, but they could get crowded.

One of the least expensive dinners we could find in Old Town. 

The next day we left the apartment headed in the other direction, towards the beach. We found a walking path along the coastline and followed it all the way around a small peninsula. Every thirty paces or so there was a small staircase leading down to the water. The craggy rocks would be filled in with a small patch of concrete where you could take a seat, listen to the waves, and smell the ocean breeze. It was really beautiful. Idyllic, even. There weren’t nearly as many people out here as in Old Town, so it wasn’t hard to find some breathing room. We sat there by the water for a long time before getting up and continuing our walk. 

This walking path went around the entire peninsula. 

Down the staircases off the main path were little areas of poured concrete where you could have your own little ocean escape.

This path took us past all the fancy ocean side accommodations that we couldn’t afford, and around to some of the calmer beaches that faced towards the mainland. The pictures speak for themselves, but neither of us realized how pretty this part of the world was. We swung past the grocery store on our way home and picked up some ingredients for dinner. We were trying to save a few bucks and making dinner ourselves usually did the trick. Although we had to laugh when we picked out a bottle of Croatian wine. They only sold local wine in one-liter bottles or larger. We thought they all seemed a bit bigger than normal.

I'm sure it would have been amazing to stay in one of these cliff-side hotels. 

The beaches on the mainland-facing side of the peninsula had the calmest waters. 

I wanted to get some more pictures of Old Town and I really wanted to see it without mobs of people everywhere, so we got up early the next day and walked back into town. We were still too late to avoid the crowds, but they were significantly reduced than in the middle of the day. We walked around everywhere, attempting to get lost in the alleys, and taking the steep staircases up around the edges of town. We also ran across a hundred cats everywhere. Some of the friendlier ones became photographic subjects. Dubrovnik is a seriously impressive town, evidenced by my hundred photographs, but I felt bad for the people who lived there. It made me think of Venice, and how the tourist population far outnumbers the local population. But it really is a beautiful place. Right on the water, every time there is a view outside the city walls you can see the vibrant blues of the sea and the sky. We had walked all though town, and even around the perimeter of the city wall. I took a million pictures of everything, but it’s hard not to. Every street had some little detail of interest.

Walking to Old Town. 

Despite it being early, most restaurants were already in the process of opening. 

Dubrovnik seemed to have a million cats, and some were very photogenic.

Walking around town. The crowds were starting to arrive not long after we started. 

The harbor in the forefront and the city walls in the background.

The city walls go right into the Adriatic.

Dubrovnik's Old Town sits in a small depression of land, so from one side of town you can look straight across to the hill on the other side. 

Every view over the rooftops is of the ocean and sky.

We left Old Town before noon and the streets had long since started swelling with tourists. We wanted a little escape, so after grabbing lunch at home we continued our walk back to the same cliff-side path we had walked the previous day. We found a new patch of concrete to sit on, under the shade of a pine tree, and relaxed by the water the entire rest of the afternoon. We would be moving on to a new destination the next day, but we would be traveling in proper Adriatic-style: by boat.

Back on the complete opposite side of town for a relaxing afternoon.

The beaches may not have sand, but it hardly seemed to matter.