Croatia 2018: Dubrovnik Wall - Morning or Afternoon?

Morning view over the town from the top of the walls

We started each morning in Dubrovnik the same way: having coffee at one of the many sidewalk cafes along the Stradun. Today, only our 2nd morning, I was completely surprised when the waiter remembered not only us from yesterday but our order as well. This tiny town regularly gets 10,000 visitors a day!

Enjoying our morning coffee along the Stradun

Dubrovnik Wall - Morning or Afternoon?

The 16th-century walls surrounding the Old Town of Dubrovnik remain primarily intact thanks to their impeccable construction, consistent care and the city's ability to avoid conflict over the centuries. The walls are 1.2 miles long, 20 feet thick and up to 80 feet high. And the best thing about them is that you can walk all the way around them! Walking the walls during your visit is an absolute must.

Preparing for the trip, I couldn't find an answer to the question when is the best time of day to walk the walls around Dubrovnik. Without experiencing both, I still don't know the answer to this question. We could ask Sara from Seattle, who bought tickets 3 times so she could do it 3 days in a row! Probably the best answer is: it depends. I thought we were going to do it in the glow of the late afternoon sun, right before closing, but there was a layer of haze that fell over the city. After walking it this morning I was certain the best time to walk the wall (in September) is right when they open at 8am. In the morning right at opening, the light is fresh and crisp, and the temperatures low.

I still wouldn't rule out the end of the day as best ... that's when we went to Fort Lovrijenac. This afternoon it wasn't hazy and the view over the walls was gorgeous.

Afternoon view of Dubrovnik's Old Town from Fort Lovrijenac

The main entrance to the walls in just inside Pile Gate

Sara from Seattle had the right idea buying her ticket the day before; I wish I had that foresight or read that tip. Ten minutes before opening, the ticket line (which is separate from the entrance) was already 40 people long.

The line to buy tickets to walk the wall

Although we were by no means the first people on the wall, it wasn't much of a struggle to get pictures with no one in them. Other than a few wall scenes, most of the pictures are taken out to sea or into the town - so it doesn't matter how many people are around you. I think the best unobstructed pictures of the town, at least in the morning light, are taken from the area of Minceta Tower.

Pictures from our wall walk:

Fort Lovrijenac

One of several sentry boxes along the wall, overlooking the Adriatic

From the wall, you can see both Buza Bars clinging to the fortress rocks below. (This is "Buza 2")

View out the window at the top of Minceta Tower

The bargain of the day was a $3 cold bottle of water that came with shaded seats along the wall overlooking the Old Town below.

After we finished the wall, we headed over to Lokrum Island ("Love" Island). Our host said it is where she spends most of her days to escape the crowds of the Old Town. (Notice how the theme of a visit to Dubrovnik is how to best escape the crowds.)

Lokrum Island is a beautiful little paradise a 15-minute boat ride from Dubrovnik. $25 buys you a round trip ticket and entrance. The only inhabitants of the island are peacocks and bunnies. You can walk the trails around the island (not well-marked), swim, see a couple sights (monastery and botanical gardens), or sunbathe. Or like us, find a bar - a $9 beer bought us some shaded, cushioned chairs for a couple of hours.

The small island of Lokrum is right off the coast of Dubrovnik

Near the dock, about to get off the boat that brings you over

The other side of the island, opposite the port

Swimming in the Adriatic - It is easy to float due to the high salt content

Continue reading if you are a GOT fan ...

As if it weren't popular enough, today's Dubrovnik has garnered even more global attention as one of the main filming backdrops for the HBO series Game of Thrones.

Greg and I began watching Game of Thrones last year with the 7th season; our boys thought we were crazy to start with the end. But a couple months ago we decided to binge-watch all 7 seasons - beginning with Season 1. It was a fun way to get excited for our trip since a large part of the HBO series is filmed in Croatia. (And next summer we'll hit more locations in Spain.)