What We Learnt on a Walking Tour of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia

What better way to learn about Dubrovnik than with a complimentary guided tour by Sandra Milovcevic, the Public Relations Department Co-ordinator, from the Dubrovnik Tourist Board. We caught up with Sandra one afternoon at 4pm when the crowds were dissipating at Pile Gate on the Western side of the Old City Walls. Pile Gate is the hub of Dubrovnik, it is where the buses depart from, tour groups meet and where the Dubrovnik Tourist Board has one of their Offices.

Sandra was very passionate about her home town of Dubrovnik and we spent the next hour enjoying her company and her sense of humor whilst learning about “The Pearl of the Adriatic ” - Dubrovnik.

The City Walls are 1,940m in length. They are the biggest and the best preserved in the whole of Europe.

Can you believe this? The City Walls were built between the 11th and 15th century to defend the city, but they never saw a war or an evasion until 1991 when Dubrovnik came under attack from Serbia. If you were a visitor to the city during its construction you were required to bring stone with you from the outlying areas of Dubrovnik as your entrance fee to the city.

The walls are made up of 3 round, 12 rectangular, 15 bastions and 2 corner fortresses and at some parts the walls are 25m high. Take your time to walk the walls, morning is best it is cooler and less crowded, and check on opening times as they differ throughout the year. It took us nearly 2 hours to walk the walls as there were so many photographic opportunities. There are also cafes along the walk to enjoy a coffee, cold drink or just to have a rest and enjoy the views. When you walk the walls you must walk in a counter-clockwise direction due to its narrow pathways. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).