Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik offers an ideal way to spend a holiday. There is truly something for everyone, and that includes the food, the Slavic variant of which only gets more exciting with the addition of the fresh catch from the sea. Dubrovnik lives from tourism, and its popularity makes for crowded summers, but a shoulder-season visit can solve this issue while providing much of the same experience in terms of climate. Or come when everyone else comes, because what really makes Dubrovnik such a pleasure to visit is the contrast between the slow, laid-back life of the locals and the buzz of the hive of tourists descending upon it year after year.

Known to Game of Thrones fans as King’s Landing, the seaside town of Dubrovnik offers an ideal way to spend a holiday, even without dragons. While word about this beautiful seaside village spreads pretty quickly, it’s still no tourist Mecca, so that you won’t be squeezed between hordes of people on the beach.

Culture

A small fishing village with a gorgeous, imposing fort in the center, Dubrovnik’s image as a seaside superstar is relatively new. But thankfully, the town wears this hat with dignity and won’t be bought by anyone that easily, holding fast to its cultural and natural heritage and not swayed by fads the visitors bring with them in noisy droves. Dubrovnik is an old town, and it’s seen a lot of ships go by. Come here if you tend to fall in the middle of two extremes in terms of travel preference: You want an active holiday but also to laze around on the beach. You want some history to explore but also a choice of things to do after sundown. You want to see people pass you by on your evening stroll but don’t want to stay up all night listening to first-year college students having the time of their lives.

Food

You will find that there is truly something for everyone here, and that includes the food, the Slavic variant of which only gets more exciting with the addition of the fresh catch from the sea. It seems that the restaurants of Dubrovnik are so beautiful that even the tourists most determined to be ripped off don’t seem to be able to diminish the magic. Sure, some places you’ll come across will be more expensive than others, but even in those, having a bad meal looks to be an impossibility. Try the risotto tinted with squid ink, or the flame-grilled shrimps and be unable to decide whether this food is intentionally simple or a good lesson in complexity. But who cares, if it’s this delicious?

Entertainment

Dubrovnik lives from tourism and its popularity makes for full summers, though it’s still nothing like Rimini or Mykonos. If you prefer a more quiet and calm vacation, an early September visit can solve the issue while providing much of the same experience in terms of climate. Or just come when everyone else arrives, because what makes Dubrovnik such a pleasure to visit is the contrast between the slow, laid-back life of the locals and the buzz of the growing hive of tourists descending upon it with the first rays of the summer sun.