Wrapping a Big Hug (+ walls) Around Dubrovnik
In this blog series I want to go back to the basics of why I love to travel, and I know many of you do too: because you’re curious. Curious to learn more about a new culture, curious to learn more about different ways of living life, curious to try new foods, learn about new customs and broaden your worldview. In this blog series we’ll be sharing and learning about different corners of the world, highlighting some of our favorite storytellers who can bring these stories to life on a future trip, and helping you, albeit virtually, indulge your love and curiosity to travel.
I’ve had the good fortune of traveling to Dubrovnik, Croatia about a half dozen times now. It’s really as stunning as your neighbor, BFF’s Mom, and college roomie have told you. The cobblestone streets, cozy positioning along the Adriatic Sea, abundance of fresh seafood, easy access to dreamy nearby islands, kind people and history are all reasons - and there are many more - you should consider visiting Dubrovnik in the future. But one key characteristic that often goes unnoticed is the fortified walls that surround the ‘old town’ portion of Dubrovnik. I’ve had many clients and friends tell me they’re surprised to find the walls, and thought they were just there on TV (Dubrovnik is the model city for ‘King’s Landing’ on Game of Thrones.) But oh no - these walls are one of the defining characteristics of the city - now a UNESCO landmark - and a dive into the history of the walls makes a visit to Dubrovnik all the richer.
The walls run continuously for about 6,360 feet encircling the old town between the land and the sea, and while the height of the wall varies throughout, the highest point is 82 feet. That’s a lot of wall! Today you can purchase an entry ticket to walk along the top of the entire network of walls that surround old town Dubrovnik. Along the wall you can find multiple watch towers, dramatic gates that serve as official entrances to the old town and amazing viewpoints out to sea.
I reached out to a local guide and a long-time partner for our Hosted Adventures in Croatia - Robi Pinčević, owner of Soul of Croatia, who frequently introduces Croatia and the surrounding region, including Dubrovnik, to our Travel Design clients - to help us understand the history of these walls, how to best experience them and more.
Q: How long have the walls surrounded Dubrovnik? And why was the wall originally built (and extended, and maintained over time?)
The walls of old town Dubrovnik, similar to the city itself, have gone through many changes over time. The walls were originally built to protect the city from outside enemies. It is known that the town existed in the 7th century, although some sources claim even earlier, but today's structure of walls are from the 13th century, while most of the final version of today's walls came in the 16th century with minor additions afterwards. The biggest wall reinforcements, however, came in the 15th century with the invention of fire weapons, and Croatia’s need to defend itself from the big enemy of the East - The Ottoman Empire. The first layer of wall was not sufficient, so another layer, a wall that was a few feet thick, was added to make sure the city would be properly secured.
Fun Fact: the town of Dubrovnik was originally built out of wood, but after a big fire, city authorities decided to never use wood again! The wood that was used was oak, and oak in local speech is dub, and from the oak forest Dubrava, therefore Dubrovnik was given as the town name.
Q: Have the fortified walls been effective at keeping enemies out of the city?
Yes! In the year 866 AD the walls of Dubrovnik served their purpose of defending the city and keeping the Saracens away for many months. Over time, efforts to extend and reinforce the wall paid off, and Dubrovnik has never been conquered. And rumor has it that at one time local citizens were able to close the city doors and survive for one year inside the walls, as they had what was needed to survive, including fresh water.
Q: I’ve heard about the big crowds that visit Dubrovnik, especially on days when cruise ships are in town. What advice do you have for how to best explore the city walls?
If you really want to avoid the crowds, the best time to visit would generally be between October and April/May. If you come to Dubrovnik during winter time, there is hardly anyone to be found on the streets, excluding the period around Christmas and New Year.
In high season the best time to visit the city walls is as soon as they open in the morning, usually 8AM, or 1-2 hours before closing, to avoid possible crowds and the heat as much as possible.
If you have the chance to travel to Dubrovnik on a future trip to Croatia (or elsewhere in Europe, for that matter) consider a stop in this charming town. Sure, there are crowds. But with the right advice + tips, you’ll be able to minimize their impact.
Here’s to staying curious, and continuing to use travel as a vehicle to learn and expand our world view!
Mary + the Living Big Travel team
