With its thick medieval walls, massive gates, and soaring battlements, Dubrovnik, which is Croatia’s city, transports visitors back to a time when the fortified city was a major maritime power commanding the third-largest navy in the Mediterranean. Here is a list of the impressive places in Dubrovnik that you shouldn’t miss when traveling.
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Impressive Places in Dubrovnik
1. The Rector’s Palace
The Rector’s Palace is one of the impressive places in Dubrovnik. The centerpiece of the Ragusan empire, the palace is a fusion of European Renaissance and Slavic Baroque styles of architecture and is one of the most stunning places to visit in Dubrovnik. The chief citizen of the empire lived on the first floor of the palace, which houses today the Cultural History Museum that is filled with ornate furniture and armor. The medieval charm of the place is so obvious that it was used as a filming location of Game of Thrones – the atrium of the palace of the Spice King of Qarth.
2. Dubrovnik’s City Walls
Walking along the top of the city’s medieval walls is a highlight of any stay in Dubrovnik. The walls encircle the entire Old Town quarter and take at least an hour to explore.
Most of the walls were constructed during the 13th century but have been reinforced over the years to withstand repeated attacks. A series of imposing towers intended to protect the city against the Turks were added in the 15th century. Fans of the TV series “Game of Thrones” will recognize sections used as settings for the show’s capital city of King’s Landing.
Standing 25 meters (80 feet) high in some places and up to 6 meters (20 feet) thick in others, the walls are an awesome sight in their own right, but the views that they offer of the town, the harbor, and of the Adriatic Sea are simply spectacular.
3. Old Town
At times the twisting streets of Dubrovnik’s old town will feel like a movie set, and you’ll find you can work up a big appetite if you let your curiosity guide you down all the little alleyways here.
You can get your bearings on Placa, which is old Dubrovnik’s main street; a straight and broad limestone channel beneath grand old houses.
As you walk you’ll notice that nearly all of these buildings share the same floor plan, and that’s because of a citywide decree on building designs following an earthquake and fire in the 17th century.
4. Maritime Museum
Understanding the impressive seafaring past of the city is central to understanding this odd Slavic city. The Maritime Museum is located in the St.John’s Fortress, which was built to protect the old republic’s harbor. The city-state had one of the largest fleets in the world in the 16th century – 180 ships with over 4000 sailors. The museum has a range of exhibits from model ships, sailors’ uniforms and maps, flags of the republic and other navigational equipment, making it one of the most popular Dubrovnik tourist attractions. The museum also has an underground aquarium that houses some of the most exotic Adriatic sea life.
5. Dubrovnik Cable Car
The best way to enjoy a panoramic view of Dubrovnik’s ancient city is by gliding to the top of Mount Srdj on an ultramodern cable car. Located just outside the city walls, the cable car station offers visitors a quick, easy, and scenic mode of transport to the peak of the rugged little mountain.
In addition to a restaurant, snack bar, and souvenir shop at the summit, there’s a small museum and memorial commemorating the Homeland War of the 1990s as well. Hikers may enjoy descending the mountain by way of a steep ropeway trail.
6. Dubrovnik Cathedral
The city’s cathedral is one of Dubrovnik’s large ensembles of baroque architecture. Among the many reasons to pay this seat of the diocese, a visit is to see the interior’s artworks.
On the main altar, there’s a triptych of the Ascension of Mary by the renaissance painter Titian from 1550. On the church’s side, altars are several other impressive works by Croatian and Italian artists from the same era.
In the treasury is a wealth of precious liturgical items dating from the 1000s to the 1700s, including the gold-plated bones of St. Blaise.
