Dubrovnik is a walled city on Croatia's southern Adriatic coast, home to about 41,500 people. Its car-free Old Town (Stari Grad), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, is ringed by nearly 2 km of medieval walls and sits beside clear swimming coves, Lokrum island and the Elafiti islands.
Top attractions
The most popular and significant attractions in Dubrovnik.
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1
City Walls of Dubrovnik
A complete 1,940 m ring of medieval and Renaissance walls with towers and forts around the Old Town; the walk runs one way (anticlockwise) and has steep steps and little shade.
Tip: Enter at opening or in the last two hours before closing to avoid the 11:00-15:00 crowds and heat · Bring water, a hat and sunscreen because there is almost no shade on the route · The route is one-way anticlockwise, so plan to finish the loop or exit at the Ploce or St John stairs · The ticket includes Fort Lovrijenac and is covered by the Dubrovnik Pass · Wear shoes with good grip as the stone steps are worn and slippery when wet
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2
Stradun (Placa)
The limestone-paved main street of the Old Town, rebuilt with uniform Baroque houses after the 1667 earthquake.
Tip: Visit before 09:00 or after 21:00 to avoid cruise-ship crowds · Wear shoes with grip, as the limestone is slippery when wet and worn smooth · Side streets off Stradun usually offer cheaper meals than the main street · View the street from above by climbing onto the City Walls · Keep valuables secure in the busiest midday hours
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3
Pile Gate
The western entrance to the Old Town (1537) with a stone bridge, a former drawbridge and a statue of St Blaise above the arch.
Tip: Arrive before 09:00 for photographs without crowds · Buy City Walls tickets near the gate early, as queues build by mid-morning · Libertas buses stop at Pile, so use them rather than walking from Lapad · Watch for pickpockets in the gate passage during peak hours · Photograph the arch from the bridge to include the St Blaise statue
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4
Ploce Gate
The eastern entrance to the Old Town, with a stone bridge and a wooden drawbridge between the walls and Fort Revelin.
Tip: Use this gate to avoid the Pile Gate crowds · Combine with Lazareti and Banje Beach on foot · Libertas buses to Ploce stop just outside on Frana Supila · Visit in the morning for the quietest approach · Photograph the arch from the bridge to include Fort Revelin
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5
Rector's Palace (Cultural History Museum)
Gothic-Renaissance seat of the rectors of the Republic of Ragusa, now the Cultural History Museum with period rooms, portraits and the atrium used for Summer Festival concerts.
Tip: Arrive at 09:00 or after 16:00 to avoid groups · Consider the 10 Museums ticket (EUR 20) if visiting several sites · The Dubrovnik Pass includes entry · Check for closure on Mondays from November to March · Use the audio guide to follow the exhibits in order
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6
Sponza Palace
A 1516-1522 Gothic-Renaissance customs house and mint that survived the 1667 earthquake; it holds the State Archives and the Memorial Room of the Dubrovnik Defenders of 1991-1995.
Tip: Entry to the atrium and Memorial Room is free · Visit mid-morning to avoid midday crowds on Luza Square · Check exhibition hours at the entrance as they vary by season · Be respectful in the Memorial Room · Photograph the facade from the steps of the Church of St Blaise
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7
Dubrovnik Cathedral and Treasury
Baroque Cathedral of the Assumption (1672-1713), rebuilt after the 1667 earthquake, with a Titian polyptych and a treasury holding the relics of St Blaise.
Tip: Cover shoulders and knees; entry is refused in beachwear · Bring cash for the Treasury, which is typically not card-based · Avoid Mass times, when sightseeing is not allowed · Visit on a weekday morning to avoid tour groups · Combine with the Rector's Palace and Sponza Palace nearby
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8
Church of St Blaise
Baroque church (1706-1715) of the city's patron saint, holding a gilded silver statue of St Blaise holding a model of pre-1667 Dubrovnik.
Tip: Visit in the morning when the interior is quiet · Cover shoulders and knees when entering · Plan to attend on 3 February to see the Feast of St Blaise procession · Photograph the facade from the Stradun side or from Sponza Palace steps · Avoid service times when sightseeing may be restricted
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9
Franciscan Monastery and Old Pharmacy
14th-century Franciscan monastery with a Romanesque cloister and a pharmacy operating since 1317, among the oldest in Europe.
Tip: Arrive at opening to enjoy the cloister before tour groups · The pharmacy shop can be browsed without a museum ticket · Winter hours end around 14:00, so visit earlier in the day · Cover shoulders and knees for the church · Combine with the City Walls entrance at Pile Gate next door
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10
Big Onofrio Fountain
Sixteen-sided domed fountain completed in 1438 by Onofrio della Cava as the end point of an aqueduct from Sumet, still supplying drinking water.
Tip: Bring a bottle to refill, since the water is drinkable · Visit in the morning to avoid crowds and for better light · Combine with the City Walls and Franciscan Monastery next door · Keep an eye on belongings in dense summer crowds · Compare it with the Little Onofrio Fountain at the other end of Stradun
Attractions by category
Explore by your interests.
Landmarks
City Walls of Dubrovnik
A complete 1,940 m ring of medieval and Renaissance walls with towers and forts around the Old Town; the walk runs one way (anticlockwise) and has steep steps and little shade.
Stradun (Placa)
The limestone-paved main street of the Old Town, rebuilt with uniform Baroque houses after the 1667 earthquake.
Pile Gate
The western entrance to the Old Town (1537) with a stone bridge, a former drawbridge and a statue of St Blaise above the arch.
Ploce Gate
The eastern entrance to the Old Town, with a stone bridge and a wooden drawbridge between the walls and Fort Revelin.
Sponza Palace
A 1516-1522 Gothic-Renaissance customs house and mint that survived the 1667 earthquake; it holds the State Archives and the Memorial Room of the Dubrovnik Defenders of 1991-1995.
Dubrovnik Cathedral and Treasury
Baroque Cathedral of the Assumption (1672-1713), rebuilt after the 1667 earthquake, with a Titian polyptych and a treasury holding the relics of St Blaise.
Church of St Blaise
Baroque church (1706-1715) of the city's patron saint, holding a gilded silver statue of St Blaise holding a model of pre-1667 Dubrovnik.
Big Onofrio Fountain
Sixteen-sided domed fountain completed in 1438 by Onofrio della Cava as the end point of an aqueduct from Sumet, still supplying drinking water.
Fort Lovrijenac (St Lawrence Fortress)
Free-standing fortress on a 37 m sea rock outside the west walls, inscribed 'Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro'; a theatre stage for Hamlet at the Summer Festival.
Museums
Rector's Palace (Cultural History Museum)
Gothic-Renaissance seat of the rectors of the Republic of Ragusa, now the Cultural History Museum with period rooms, portraits and the atrium used for Summer Festival concerts.
Franciscan Monastery and Old Pharmacy
14th-century Franciscan monastery with a Romanesque cloister and a pharmacy operating since 1317, among the oldest in Europe.
Fort Revelin
Massive Renaissance fort (rebuilt 1538-1549 by Antonio Ferramolino) guarding the eastern land approach, now home to the Archaeological Museum's exhibitions and a top terrace.
Maritime Museum (Fort St John)
Ship models, maps and navigation instruments telling the story of the Ragusan merchant fleet, inside the fort that guarded the harbour.
Dominican Monastery
Gothic-Renaissance monastery with a cloister and a museum of Dubrovnik painting, including Titian's St Mary Magdalene and works by Nikola Bozidarevic.
Homeland War Museum (Fort Imperial)
Exhibition on the 1991-1992 siege of Dubrovnik inside the Napoleonic Fort Imperial (1806-1812), which a small garrison held throughout the war.
War Photo Limited
Gallery of conflict photojournalism with a permanent exhibition on the wars in the former Yugoslavia.
Red History Museum
Interactive museum of life in socialist Yugoslavia, with a recreated apartment and Cold War exhibits.
Rupe Granary (Ethnographic Museum)
A 16th-century granary with 15 grain pits cut into the rock, now an ethnographic museum of costume and rural life.
Nature
Lokrum Island
Forested nature reserve 600 m off the Old Town with a ruined Benedictine monastery, the Napoleonic Fort Royal, the saltwater 'Dead Sea' lake and peacocks.
Dubrovnik Cable Car and Mount Srd
Cable car (opened 1969, rebuilt 2010) rising about 400 m in under 4 minutes to Mount Srd, with views over the Old Town, Lokrum and the Elafiti islands.
Banje Beach
The closest pebble beach to the Old Town, with a straight-on view of the walls, the Old Port and Lokrum.
Trsteno Arboretum
Renaissance garden of the Gucetic family (late 15th century) with a Neptune fountain and an old aqueduct, run by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Cultural
Lazareti
Restored 17th-century quarantine complex of ten halls around five courtyards, a legacy of the Republic's pioneering 1377 quarantine law, now a cultural venue.
Practical information
What you need to know before you go.
- Hours
- The City Walls open from 08:00 in Jul-Oct (10:00 in Apr-Jun, 09:00 in winter); Dubrovnik Museums open 09:00-18:00 in Apr-Oct and 09:00-16:00 in Nov-Mar, each closing one weekday (the Rector's Palace closes on Monday in winter only). The cable car closes Dec-Mar.
- Fees
- City Walls from EUR 40 (~$46, includes Fort Lovrijenac); 10 Museums ticket EUR 20 (~$23, valid 7 days); Rector's Palace alone EUR 15 (~$17); cable car return EUR 30 (~$34.50); Lokrum ferry and entry EUR 30 (~$34.50); War Photo Limited EUR 10 (~$11.50).
- Best Times
- May-June and September-October for warm sea and fewer people; avoid 09:00-14:00 on days with several cruise ships in port.
- Booking
- The Dubrovnik Pass (dubrovnikpass.com) costs about EUR 40 / 50 / 60 (~$46 / $58 / $69) for 1, 3 or 7 days and bundles the City Walls, Fort Lovrijenac, the Rector's Palace and other museums plus Libertas bus rides; since the walls alone cost EUR 40, the pass pays off for anyone walking the walls. Cable car and Lokrum tickets are separate.
- Tourist Information
- Tourist Information Centre Pile, Brsalje 5, 20000 Dubrovnik, +385 20 312 011, tzdubrovnik.hr. Emergency number across Croatia: 112.
Tips for visiting attractions
Make the most of your sightseeing time.
Walk the walls at opening time: the 1,940 m circuit has almost no shade, and the walk runs one way.
Carry water and wear grippy shoes; the limestone of Stradun and the wall steps is polished and slippery.
Check the cruise schedule at the port authority site (portdubrovnik.hr) and plan the Old Town for days with few ships.
Keep the City Walls ticket to enter Fort Lovrijenac later.
Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) in the cathedral and monasteries, and do not walk the Old Town in swimwear.
Take the Lokrum ferry before 10:00 and check the time of the last boat back posted at the Old Port kiosk.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dubrovnik Pass worth it?
Yes for anyone walking the City Walls: the 1-day pass (about EUR 40, ~$46) costs roughly the same as a walls ticket and adds the Rector's Palace, Fort Lovrijenac, other museums and Libertas bus rides.
How long does the City Walls walk take?
Allow 2-3 hours for the full 1,940 m circuit, including stops at Minceta Tower and Fort St John.
Does the cable car run all year?
No. It runs from April to November and is closed in December-March; a return ticket costs EUR 30 (~$34.50).
How do visitors get to Lokrum?
By the ferry from the Old Port (about 15 minutes); the EUR 30 (~$34.50) ticket covers the return boat and the nature reserve entry. Overnight stays on the island are not allowed.