Dubrovnik's City Walls: Walking the Ramparts of the Pearl of the Adriatic

Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century on a small island off the Dalmatian coast and grew into one of the most powerful maritime republics in the Mediterranean — the Republic of Ragusa, which maintained its independence for five centuries through a combination of diplomacy, trade, and the extraordinary walls that still surround the old town today. The walls were built between the 13th and 17th centuries and reach a height of 25 metres in places, with towers, bastions, and a moat that made the city virtually impregnable.

The walk around the walls takes about two hours at a leisurely pace and offers a constantly changing perspective on the old town — the terracotta rooftops, the baroque Stradun (the main street, paved in limestone so polished it reflects the sky), the Franciscan monastery with its Romanesque cloister, and the harbour where the galleys of the Ragusan fleet once anchored. The views out to sea — to the island of Lokrum, to the Elafiti Islands in the distance — are equally fine.

The Stradun, Dubrovnik's main street, is one of the finest pedestrian streets in Europe — 300 metres of polished limestone flanked by baroque buildings of uniform height and style, rebuilt after the earthquake of 1667 destroyed much of the medieval city. At either end stand the Pile Gate (the main entrance to the old town) and the Bell Tower, and the street between them is the social heart of Dubrovnik — the place where everyone walks in the evening passeggiata.

The Franciscan Monastery, just inside the Pile Gate, contains one of the oldest functioning pharmacies in the world — established in 1317 and still dispensing medicines today. The monastery's Romanesque cloister, with its double columns and carved capitals, is one of the finest in Dalmatia, and the small museum contains medieval manuscripts, paintings, and the original pharmacy equipment.

The islands around Dubrovnik are among the finest in the Adriatic. Lokrum, a 15-minute boat ride from the old town harbour, is a nature reserve of dense Mediterranean vegetation, a ruined Benedictine monastery, and a saltwater lake connected to the sea. The Elafiti Islands — Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan — are accessible by ferry and offer a Dalmatia of olive groves, vineyards, and beaches that the day-trippers from the cruise ships never reach.

The practical challenge of Dubrovnik is the crowds. The city receives more than a million cruise ship passengers per year, and in July and August the old town can feel genuinely overwhelmed — the Stradun becomes a slow-moving queue, and the walls walk requires patience. The solution is to visit in May, June, or September, when the weather is excellent and the crowds are manageable, or to explore the old town in the early morning and evening when the day-trippers have gone.

Game of Thrones filmed extensively in Dubrovnik — the old town served as King's Landing for six seasons — and the walking tours that follow the filming locations have become one of the city's most popular activities. Whether or not you are a fan of the show, the tours are a good way to explore the old town's less-visited corners, including the Fort Lovrijenac (the Red Keep), the Minčeta Tower (the House of the Undying), and the Rector's Palace (the Hall of the Small Council).