A mixed bag of a city (Dubrovnik)

Member Name: chazzabelle

Product:	Dubrovnik
Date:	29/09/08 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pretty, excellent climate

Disadvantages: Not much to do, overcrowded

I have recently come home from travelling, and Dubrovnik on the southern tip of Croatia was last on the list of places to go after an extensive 4 month trip around Europe. I'd obviously heard a lot about the place and after a month in former Yugoslavia, it seemed a fitting place to end our trip, after the bombing of the place in the early 1990s. And I must say, it was a bit of a mixed bag.

Best approach this systematically - first, the pros:

It's pretty. As in extremely. You would never tell that it was a huge wreck just 15 years ago - the repair job has been done very well! Dubrovnik as a place actually sprawls for miles around - thousands of houses and residential streets and resorts close to the sea, as well as the huge port with it's busy comings and goings. However, it's the old town that holds the real attraction. It's a warren of ancient streets, hundreds of steps going up the hill that the town is cut into. There is also the famous bridges and the iconic picture of the old harbour that can only be seen from walking a good 15 minutes out of the city centre. The old harbour is full of rusting fishing boats and bottom glassed cruisers along with some excellent seafood restaurants.

All of this is lovely, and gives one much entertainment for half a day. However, Dubrovnik is full of oddities and eccentricities, if you venture further than the main tourist drag. Namely, the bars Buza I and Buza II. Both are beyond the city walls on the side that faces the sea, cut into the rock. Buza I is far more relaxed, and tables sit at different heights according to the rock formations. The best part however, is the rock that has been cut in order that people can sunbathe and jump into the10 metre deep sea below. It's tourist to local ratio is very small - this is not something that is generally mentioned in guide books. It was, in my opinion, the best part of Dubrovnik as it gave a different dimension to the place. Not just a tourist trap, but an interesting, very Baltic-esque place. Buza II is far more sophisticated, but no less interesting. Again, it's cut into the rock of Dubrovnik old town and you have to follow the signs around town that say 'Cold Drinks with the most beautiful view.' It draws an older crowd, and is too high up for diving into the sea, but it holds a charm of it's own, with amazing views across to the island of Lokrum. A real place to chill out.

Despite these little finds, Dubrovnik does have a huge downside, and that's the huge tourist influx into the place. Prices are much higher than in the rest of Croatia and quality of houses and hostels is generally lower. It also means that the streets are filled with Germans, Brits and all other manner of nationalities, almost always standing in the way and looking slightly gormless. You get the odd Brit shouting in English at a bemused Croat who can't understand him. Its an unfortunate side effect of the absolute prettiness of the place - it does have a touch of the Costa to it. Tourist shops and restaurants spill out onto the perfectly preserved ancient streets, filled with overpriced souvenirs and poor quality food.

All in all, Dubrovnik is a place of outstanding beauty with some excellent little quirks if you are interested in finding them. However, be aware that it's expensive and very touristy - my advice would always be to go out of high season. It's a place every European should visit - the effects of the war of the early 1990s are very visible and I think, for this reason, more than any other, Dubrovnik should always be one of the top places on everyone's travel list.

Summary: One to go out of high season