Dubrovnik and Split | Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Thanks to Game of Thrones, Instagram, Mediterranean cruises and killer marketing strategies targeted at young travelers, Croatia has become a popular tourist destination for people spending the summer in Europe. The rate that it exploded at is almost tragic - homes in the old city are being turned into Airbnb’s, prices have skyrocketed for locals looking to take advantage of tourists, and native Croatians are forced out into the outer rings of the cities. Similar to how there are no locals in Venice, Dubrovnik and Split both seem to be headed the same way.

It’s easy to understand why tourism exploded here; the Adriatic sea sparkles in the relentless sunshine and the white buildings with the red roofs cluster together in a maze in the old town. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, but the crowds can be stifling if you don’t go with a plan. We woke up early, took the bus from our hostel to the old city and spent about half a day wandering around before making our way back for the evening.

My biggest piece of advice to anyone looking to visit the old city is to get up early and beat the rush of crowds. Spend time wandering around before it completely fills up. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring a towel to dry off, you’ll want to jump in at a swimming spot at some point during the day. Wear sunscreen if you visit in summer and bring a huge bottle of water. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).