Dubrovnik: Walls & Waterfalls
July 27, 2019 | 5 minute readAdmittedly, I didn’t really know much about the country before I went there. But I will say that after going, Croatia is an absolutely stunning country that I would totally recommend visiting.
As I’m not an avid fan of the hit TV series, ‘Game of Thrones‘; I’d never properly appreciated the beautiful old town of Dubrovnik. But it was certainly a country that didn’t disappoint.
Staying in Croatia
We booked an Airbnb in the Lapad district of Croatia, this was the perfect location for going to the beach, as well as travelling to the iconic old town area. It was a short walk to the idyllically named ‘Sunset Beach’, which featured a lovely promenade of restaurants and bars.
All of the places we went to along here for food were very reasonably priced, on our last evening we went to one of the most upmarket restaurants on the beach, but this still only set us back around £20 per head.
The beach itself was very clean, albeit a little bit small. It is also a pebbly beach so it does get a bit hot underfoot in the middle of the day. But once you’re in the water you’re absolutely fine, and it was really nice to cool down in!
Dubrovnik Old Town
If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, you will almost certainly recognise the walled area of old town Dubrovnik, and I can tell you that it’s just as beautiful – if not more than it looks on the TV series.
As soon as you walk through the walls of the old town you are transported to a beautifully clean and picturesque old town, with endless cobbled streets under your feet to explore and get lost in. You can find some beautiful back streets that are pretty much deserted compared to the main promenades, so you can get some brilliant photos whilst your here.
Game of Thrones Tour Dubrovnik
We took a brilliant Game of Thrones tour that showed us round all of the filming locations for the series, and even went round some of the more obscure parts that are hidden in the alleyways. It was such a brilliant experience and perfect for taking photos. If you’re planning a mini-break to Dubrovnik, I’d definitely recommend the Game of Thrones tour, particularly if you’re a fan of the TV show!
Tour to Mostar & Kravice Waterfalls, Bosnia
Whilst we were in Croatia, we also decided to go on a fantastic tour to the town of Mostar and a set of waterfalls in neighbouring Bosnia. We booked the day tour whilst we were out there, and it was definitely a worthwhile trip.
The tour was a little bit of an early start as we did have to do a fair bit of travelling to get to these two destinations. It’s also made more difficult due to the fact that Croatia is actually split into two areas.
The quickest way to do this involves 6 border crossings during the whole trip. These border crossings are made even more difficult by the fact that Bosnia & Herzegovina is not yet part of the European Union, and so crossing each border is quite often a lengthy process.
Despite the rather long coach journey, a visit to these places is definitely recommended. The waterfalls are a brilliant photo opportunity, and you can even swim in the water to help you cool off in the warm weather.
I will admit I knew nothing about the town of Mostar before I went. But it is infact a World Heritage Site, and much of the buildings and architecture is protected by this.
Anyone who might be old enough to remember will know that Mostar was central to a part in the Bosnian war in the 1990s. One thing that I will take away from Mostar, apart from it’s incredibly beautiful location, is that it’s also incredibly cheap. Whilst still outside of the EU, Bosnia has an incredibly unstable economy, and that means you can take advantage of the exchange rate over there. I got a tub of refreshing ice cream for 70p!
I will admit I knew nothing about the town of Mostar before I went. But it is infact a World Heritage Site, and much of the buildings and architecture is protected by this. Anyone who might be old enough to remember will know that Mostar was central to a part in the Bosnian war in the 1990s.
One thing that I will take away from Mostar, apart from it’s incredibly beautiful location, is that it’s also incredibly cheap. Whilst still outside of the EU, Bosnia has an incredibly unstable economy, and that means you can take advantage of the exchange rate over there. I got a tub of refreshing ice cream for 70p!
What I would say if you’re planning on going on this tour is to make sure you stock up with plenty of water and snacks for your journey. As we went in the height of summer, the journey back was almost unbearable!
Lokrum Island
On the last day of our holiday, we took a trip to the island of Lokrum. This small island is just off the coast of Croatia and forms what is known as the Croatian Archipelago. Whilst many of these islands lay uninhabited, there are a few that have notable landmarks and a small population. Lokrum was once the home to a monastery, the ruins of which are still standing for visitors to walk around.
There is a Croatian legend about Lokrum island, where it is said to believe that the island is cursed. The monks who last occupied the monastery in the 12-14th centuries were forced off the island. As a result on their last night on the island they were seen walking round the island chanting and putting this curse on the island
As a result of this curse, throughout the centuries the owners of the island have come into various different difficulties, with many people claiming that their misfortune is down to this curse. Even to this day, no one is allowed to stay on the island overnight.
“Whosoever claims Lokrum for his own personal pleasure shall be damned!”
Despite this rather mystifying curse, the island itself is stunning. The ruins of the old monastery are extremely well preserved, and there are a number of different beauty spots that you can see on the island.
One of the other incredibly things about this island is that it is home to a pride of peacocks and colony of wild rabbits. These are incredibly tame creatures, and wander around the island freely.