Dubrovnik, Croatia

Princely Palace

A 15th-century palace, due to numerous renovations, is a building with a whimsical blend of Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles. Once, the city authorities, led by a prince who was elected for a month, met here. The prince was assigned a bedroom and a work space, and no one was allowed to interrupt the work process-even his wife could not visit her husband during his “confinement” in the palace. This is evidenced by the inscription above the entrance: “Forget about personal matters; serve the community.” Today, the palace houses a city museum, as well as the only monument in the history of the Dubrovnik Republic. It is dedicated to the wealthy sailor Miho Pracatu, who, in the 17th century, bequeathed Dubrovnik all of his fortune.

Franciscan Monastery

Within the ancient walls of this monastery, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list, an apothecary opened nearly 7 centuries ago and is still operating to this day. In the 20th century, it was turned into a museum, where you can still see antique medical instruments, pharmacy equipment, treatises, and the prescriptions of medieval physicians. The monastery is also famous for its priceless library for Croatian history, home to 1200 ancient manuscripts, 137 incunabula, and 7 collections of chorales, as well as a museum with a rich collection of antique jewelry, embroidery, and paintings.

Sponza Palace

This palace on Luža Square in past centuries served many vital functions for Dubrovnik. It housed the customs office, the mint, the treasury, a bank, and an armory, as well as the “Academy of the Harmonious” - a gathering of poets and simply highly educated people who held literary and scientific discussions within these walls. Today, the Sponza Palace is essentially home to almost all of the material history of the Dubrovnik Republic - its vast archive, the oldest documents of which date back to the beginning of the 11th century. You can visit the archive by prior appointment.

The Great Fountain of Onofrio

The fountain bearing the name of its creator is one of the first fully functional urban water supply systems in Eastern Europe. In the mid-14th century, the Italian engineer Onofrio supplied Dubrovnik with water from a mountain spring by channeling it via an aqueduct to this fountain and several similar structures. The water in the Onofrio Fountain is delivered through 16 taps-corresponding to the number of sides of the structure, each decorated with carved medallions. Originally, the fountain had two levels, but the upper tier was destroyed by the 1667 earthquake, along with the sculptures that adorned Onofrio’s work, which survive only in old engravings.

Cathedral of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary

This Baroque temple is one of Dubrovnik’s main architectural landmarks. Inside the cathedral there is an organ and there is a treasury holding about 200 exhibits from the 11th-13th centuries. The most valuable of them are the relics of Saint Blaise and a fragment of the “True Cross” from Golgotha, on which, according to legend, Christ was crucified. According to one of the city’s legends, the cathedral building was built with the funds of King Richard the Lionheart - as a thank you for being saved during a shipwreck near Dubrovnik. They say that Richard also had a hand in the construction of the church on Lokrum Island. The cathedral was destroyed by the earthquake of 1667, and was recreated again by Italian masters at the request of the Dubrovnik senate - in the form of a cross. It stands opposite the Rector’s Palace.

Fortress of Saint Ivan

The Fort of St. Ivan at the Old Port is one of the largest and oldest in Dubrovnik. The first tower of the fort was built in the early 14th century. Inside, there is a Maritime Museum with a collection of exhibits related to maritime navigation-flags, weapons, ship’s wheels, and anchors. The fort also features a small botanical garden created and maintained by local residents, an aquarium with lobsters, turtles, and seahorses, as well as a device resembling a real guillotine, into which anyone who dares can stick their head to take fun photos.

Stroll through the Old Town

Most of the buildings here are 400-500 years old, although by local standards they are considered new construction, built on the site of dozens of palaces, monasteries, and churches that turned to dust in the wake of a powerful earthquake in the 17th century. The main street in the Old Town is Stradun. Once, it was the boundary between the island and the mainland-in the form of a charming canal. On either side of it, just like in Venice, luxurious mansions were built. But after the earthquake, the canal was filled in, and the resulting street was paved. Two main activities in the Old Town are strolling along medieval lanes and stopping at the many cafés. Along narrow streets, you can wander into the more distant quarters-places where passageways between stone buildings are so narrow that only a couple of people can fit through.

Have lunch in Old Port, Dubrovnik

600 years ago, this was the main port in the Adriatic Sea-trading ships from Italy, Turkey, Lebanon and neighboring Balkan countries would drop anchor here. Today, fishing boats and tourist boats berth at the port, and the harbor itself is famous for its wild number of restaurants and taverns. Here you can try crispy, grilled calamari, fresh toothfish, delicious oysters and lobsters. Next to the Old Port is the Porporela Breakwater (built to protect the harbor from south-easterly winds)-with benches and a red lighthouse. Swimming is allowed here, and locals make active use of it, diving underwater right to the foot of the thick fortress walls.

Rupe Museum

The Rupe grain storage was built at the end of the 16th century in the old part of the city. Inside, there are 15 large wells carved into the rock. Their walls are coated with waterproof plaster, which made it possible to store grain there-1200 tons! Now it is an ethnographic museum with national costumes, everyday items and folk art of the residents of Dubrovnik. In total, the museum has about five thousand exhibits.

Lokrum Island

During the French conquest of Dalmatia, a fortress on this tiny island was built by order of Napoleon himself. Here, too, according to legend, Richard the Lionheart landed during a shipwreck, and he also set about doing something useful-taking care of the construction of a church. Today, besides exploring the historic ruins, Lokrum is worth visiting for its vast botanical garden (you can feed the peacocks right from your hands), trying the yellow fruits called “lokrum” (careful-they’re sour!) and taking a hundred photos of the pale-away Dubrovnik in the distance-the city is clearly visible from the hills and the ancient walls of the fort. You can reach the island in 10 minutes by ferry, which runs regularly from the port of Dubrovnik.

Spend the day on the beach

Banje Beach is a charming and very well-known pebble beach, located right in the heart of Dubrovnik-with a view of the Old Town. You need to pay for entry to Banje (a symbolic amount of about 2-3 euros), but it’s worth it: from here you can clearly see the fortification walls, as well as Lokrum Island, which is a few kilometers off the mainland. The beach is never empty-locals from Dubrovnik often come here to swim, and they love playing volleyball, mini-football, and water polo. You can join the locals at any time-they’ll be happy to welcome “legionnaires” from among the tourists.

Dubrovnik Sightseeing Tour

Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, attracting tourists with its magnificent architecture and historical landmarks. The city is located on a cliff, right by the sea. Seldom can you find such beauty, harmony and grandeur. “He who seeks paradise on earth must visit Dubrovnik,” as Bernard Shaw famously described this wonderful city. During a walking tour, you will learn about the history of old Dubrovnik and its main attractions. The tour includes a visit to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the sacristy, where the city’s sacred relics are kept. You will also be able to stroll along the city walls, which encircle the city (wall length 1 940 meters), and take unique photos. In your free time, you can enjoy pleasant shopping and traditional regional dishes at local restaurants.

You can view a more detailed list of excursions and their prices after booking the cruise in your “Client Personal Account”.