DUBROVNIK, CROATIA: AN OUTSTANDING MEDIEVAL TOWN--SO WELL PRESERVED!

Saturday, November 7, 2026
Day 33/50
Dubrovnik, Croatia
70F, sunny with few clouds

 

Janie is off the ship!  

Island Princess in the background

Another beautiful day for walking around a historic city!   By the way, instead of paying the $23 pp/rt that Princess was charging for the shuttle to Old Town Dubrovnik, we opted to hop on a city bus for 5 euro pp/rt--which is $5.60 USD.  The bus took us to the same Pile Gate that the Princess shuttle was going to. 

TK stood in one direction, 

looking at the Dubrovnik wall

Janie stood in the other direction,

with the Dubrovnik city wall behind her

We really tried to soak in the atmosphere by enjoying coffee and a croissant with a background of city walls that range from 5 to 20 ft. thick! 

Breakfast at Gradska kavana Arsenal

Coffee with croissant (Janie)

and Focaccio bread with a choice of

jams, butter, honey, and Nutella (TK)

The Walls of Dubrovnik encircle the medieval Old Town in a continuous limestone ring, rising to 82 feet high and 1.2 miles in length. Built mainly between the 13th and 17th centuries, the walls were designed to protect the Republic of Ragusa from both land and sea attacks, and they remain one of the best-preserved medieval fortification systems in Europe.

 

Pile Gate

Partial view of the wall 

Fountain

St. Saviour Church

Well worn passage way

Franciscan Church

Survived an earthquake in 1667

Putting Christmas lights up 

Main "street"

Church of St. Blaise

The Orlando Column

(in front of St. Blaise)

Orlando's Column stands as a testament to the city's history and its role as a free trade city-state. The statue, which represents the legendary knight Orlando, is a symbol of freedom and civic pride. It was erected in 1418 and has been a central point of public life in Dubrovnik.  According to legend,  in the 9th century Orlando and his fleet saved Dubrovnik from a 15 month long Saracen siege.

Cathedral of the Assumption 

of the Virgin Mary

(just around the corner from St. Blaise)

Honest!

In a city with 1.2 miles of wall encircling it, I counted 8 Catholic or Orthodox churches, 2 convents (not still in use), one mosque, and one synagogue.  That seems like a lot to me!

We visited Dubrovnik in November 2022 and took a tour with a Game of Thrones cast member, Tom. He did a great job of showing us GOT sites around Dubrovnik, as well as the city itself. But he was almost like a drill instructor, and I remember all the steps, up and down, and then more up and down.  This time we opted for a flatter walking experience.

The following photos from 2022 reminded me of the steps we did not climb up and down this trip!

 

2022

2022

2022

Janie sits in the Iron Throne

from Game of Thrones/2022

Dubrovnik, a historic coastal city in southern Dalmatia by the Adriatic Sea, has a population of about 41,562 people and is. Only about 1,500 permanent residents live within the historic walled Old Town.

 

Another church!

We can always sniff out the bakeries

TK bought kukurzna kiflica/1 euro

It tasted like a pretzel!

Another gate into Old Town Dubrovnik

It is in the extreme south of Croatia, known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic.”  Founded in the 7th century, it later became the Republic of Ragusa, a famous independent maritime republic that thrived through trade and diplomacy.  Dubrovnik is famous for its massive medieval stone walls built around the Old Town.

"Monument to Cruelly 

Interrupted Childhood"

I noted this sculpture on the way to the Old Town and was able to capture its image on the way back to the ship.  It depicts 15 broken colored pencils, honoring 15 children killed during the 1991-1995 Croatian Homeland War.  The pencils are intentionally snapped in half, symbolizing unfulfilled  dreams, cut short stories, and loss of innocence.   Designed by artist Dalibor Stošić and architect Hrvoje Bilandžić and installed in 2026.

TK’s Takes:  He wanted a photo of St. Blaise Catholic Church. St. Blaise was a 4th‑century Christian bishop and a martyr, venerated especially as the patron saint of throat ailments. Blaise is said to have miraculously saved a boy choking on a fishbone—this miracle became central to his patronage of throat ailments. I love that TK remembered that on February 3, the Feast Day of St. Blaise, throats are blessed in the Catholic church. No cats today...

St. Blaise encore

Where on earth are we?