Dubrovnik's Summer Delights
by Noah Patton
Dubrovnik, historically Ragusa, is a city in the south of Croatia. Despite it’s recent tumultuous past, where the city was besieged and heavily shelled by the Yugoslav People’s army in 1991, Dubrovnik has become one of the most popular and beautiful tourist destinations within the Mediterranean Sea.
The Walls of Dubrovnik remain a primary feature of the old city, in the past they were used to defend the prosperous city during maritime trade. Now they are a tourist attraction, offering spectacular views of the old town. It is easy to see evidence of the shelling from this vantage point, as many of the century old rooftops were replaced by brighter modern tiles due to the damage sustained.
Dubrovnik’s walls will forever be immortalised in the HBO series Game of Thrones. The city, the walls, Bokar Fortress and Minčeta Tower were used to film most of King’s Landing, the fictional capital city of the series.
The Walls of Dubrovnik connect Fort Minčeta, Bokar, Lawrence, Revelin and St John which guard their respective areas. All the old town is protected by these walls and fortresses, and it can be an exhausting journey to traverse the full length, but the effort is worth it for the view it provides.
Just off the coast of Dubrovnik is the Island of Lokrum. A vibrant green paradise of sprawling oaks, pines and olive trees. It can be reached by a short ferry ride from Dubrovnik, where you will arrive at the medieval Benedictine monastery. This monastery contains a small display on the history of Lokrum, as well as a reproduction of the Game of Thrones “Iron Throne”. Like Dubrovnik, Lokrum was used as a filming location for some of the more exotic, lush locations in the series. This is partly due to its gorgeous botanical garden. The island contains many small, rocky beaches (one of these is a nudist beach). If you prefer to keep your clothes on, Lokrum has its very own “Dead Sea”. It is a small lake contained within the island that is equally as wonderful as the botanical gardens. [1]
One of the highlights of visiting Dubrovnik is the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. It is a massive, cultural manifestation of the city. For over a month the baroque city is alive with dramatic performances, orchestras and bands, opera and ballet. Many of these activities occur within the old-town in ancient theatres and churches – it’s like being transported back to another age. [2]
If you want to catch the summer festival, it runs from the middle of July to late August, when the temperatures will consistently be quite warm around 26+ degrees celsius. The city’s hotels will be exceptionally pricey at this time due to a large influx of tourism – yet another reason to cruise to Dubrovnik we say! September and October are ideal for comfortable weather, sitting around a more manageable 18 degrees Celsius. The winter and spring months are less popular, but the prices are more affordable, and the town has a certain charming aesthetic when wrapped in light snow. [3]
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