Breathing deeply, a fresh breeze from the sparkling Adriatic carries the scent of the sea to your vantage point atop the towering city walls of Dubrovnik in Croatia. This enchanting medieval city has something for everyone at any time of year, but visiting off-season unlocks a particularly peaceful and authentic experience. With fewer visitors, it’s the perfect time to explore the remarkable fortifications that encircle the Old Town—the sense of solitude helping you connect even more closely to their fascinating history.
Dubrovnik is defined by its city walls making them a must-see attraction. While some fortifications date back more than a thousand years, today’s walls were largely built in the thirteenth century to protect this important port of what was then the Republic of Ragusa. Ragusa’s lucrative trade excited the jealousy of rivals and raiders, so its defenses were constantly expanded and reinforced. Stretching more than a mile with sixteen towers, three fortresses, and numerous bastions, bulwarks, turrets and moats, these formidable fortifications protected Ragusa’s independence for centuries and remain a truly impressive sight today.
Offseason, without the summer throngs, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll, pausing regularly to savor the sense of history that the weather-worn stones command. The magnificent Pile Gate is the main entrance to the Old Town and a great place to start exploring.
Walking anticlockwise, most people pause at the Bokar Fort to take in the breathtaking sight of Fort Lovrijenak perched majestically on the rugged cliffs opposite. Without the summer crowds, it’s easy to imagine yourself walking in the footsteps of the ancient sentries who patrolled these walls in all weathers, gazing out at sea views relatively unchanged over the centuries.
Stopping at the watchtowers offers poignant insights into the lives of those who manned them and the improvements made as weapons and warfare evolved. As you walk, take a moment to peer down and appreciate the wall’s dizzying heights, sometimes 25 meters above the lapping waves below, and keep an eye out for the many statues of St Blaise, the city’s celebrated patron saint. Approaching St John’s Fort, you get commanding views of the bustling harbor and the chance to reimagine it filled with wooden sailing ships laden with exotic cargoes.
Turning away from the turquoise waters of the Adriatic, your gaze is met with a sea of terracotta roofs that seem to lap at the slopes of Dubrovnik’s mountainous backdrop. From here, unhurried by the flow of footfall, you can quietly take in the historic Old Town from above. Dubrovnik’s heritage is reflected in its distinctive architecture, with its mix of Medieval, Baroque and Renaissance buildings.
With a bird’s eye view, you can pick out many famous monuments: the impressive Assumption Cathedral, the Lazareti quarantine complex, the Rector’s Palace and the Church of St Blaise. It’s a fairytale vista of stonework and spires, so little wonder that it was a key location for the fantasy epic, Game of Thrones.
With generally lower-cost winter flights and substantial discounts on accommodation, the often mild Mediterranean weather makes Dubrovnik a great off-season destination. And by travelling off-season, you ease the strain on this small city’s infrastructure, as well as giving yourself the time and space to explore at a more meaningful pace. Between the shimmering sea and the spectacular Old Town, a walk around Dubrovnik’s city walls brings a fresh photo opportunity at every turn. And with the seasonal light adding a wonderful variability to its views, off season adds even more depth to one of the most Instagrammable walks in Europe.
Stopping at the watchtowers offers poignant insights into the lives of those who manned them and the improvements made as weapons and warfare evolved. As you walk, take a moment to peer down and appreciate the wall’s dizzying heights, sometimes 25 meters above the lapping waves below, and keep an eye out for the many statues of St Blaise, the city’s celebrated patron saint. Approaching St John’s Fort, you get commanding views of the bustling harbor and the chance to reimagine it filled with wooden sailing ships laden with exotic cargoes.
Turning away from the turquoise waters of the Adriatic, your gaze is met with a sea of terracotta roofs that seem to lap at the slopes of Dubrovnik’s mountainous backdrop. From here, unhurried by the flow of footfall, you can quietly take in the historic Old Town from above. Dubrovnik’s heritage is reflected in its distinctive architecture, with its mix of Medieval, Baroque and Renaissance buildings. With a bird’s eye view, you can pick out many famous monuments: the impressive Assumption Cathedral, the Lazareti quarantine complex, the Rector’s Palace and the Church of St Blaise. It’s a fairytale vista of stonework and spires, so little wonder that it was a key location for the fantasy epic, Game of Thrones.
With generally lower-cost winter flights and substantial discounts on accommodation, the often mild Mediterranean weather makes Dubrovnik a great off-season destination. And by travelling off-season, you ease the strain on this small city’s infrastructure, as well as giving yourself the time and space to explore at a more meaningful pace. Between the shimmering sea and the spectacular Old Town, a walk around Dubrovnik’s city walls brings a fresh photo opportunity at every turn. And with the seasonal light adding a wonderful variability to its views, off season adds even more depth to one of the most Instagrammable walks in Europe.
