5 Best Museums to Visit in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is known for its long and rich history, so it is no wonder that museums are an important part of the city’s cultural life. We picked five museums that you should visit when in Dubrovnik.

Cultural History Museum (Rector’s Palace)

Built in the 15th century by architect Onofrio di Giordano della Cava, Rector’s Palace served as an official residence of the Rector of the Ragusa. During the centuries, Rector’s Palace has been renovated several times due to gunpowder explosions and some earthquakes. As a result of those renovations, the building, originally constructed in Gothic style, also contains Renaissance and Baroque elements.

Nowadays Rector’s Palace is a part of the Cultural History Museum.

However note, that hours of work in all Dubrovnik museums vary depending on the season of the year.

During the warmer seasons (March 22 – November 2), the Cultural History Museum is open from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Monday through Sunday. During the colder months (November 3 – March 21), the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dubrovnik Natural History Museum

The Dubrovnik Natural History Museum was founded in 1872 by pharmacist Antun Drobac. Back at the time, the museum was called Museo Patrio or the Native Museum. In the museum, you will find a collection of 100-year-old taxidermy specimen, an algae herbarium, and many other different showpieces. If you are interested in the flora and fauna of the Dubrovnik region, you should visit the Dubrovnik Natural History Museum!

When planning a visit, please note that the museum is closed on Sundays.

Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum, established in 1949, is in the Fort St John on the first and second floors of the building. Maritime Museum might not be for everyone, but if you are interested in ships and shipbuilding, you will find lots of interesting paintings, historic artifacts, maps, instruments, and documents that are all related to maritime trade.

The Rupe (Ethnographic Museum)

In English, “Rupe” means hole and it makes sense because for centuries The Rupe has been the granary of Dubrovnik. Nowadays The Rupe is an ethnographic museum, so if you want to know more about the people of Dubrovnik and their culture, you should go to the Rupe.

By the way, the Ethnographic museum appeared in the popular tv series Game of Thrones. In season 4, Tyrion Lannister first meets Tyrion Martell and his beloved Ellaria in a King’s Landing brothel. That scene was shot at the Rupe.

Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Dubrovnik was established in 1872. The interesting thing about the museum is that it doesn’t have a permanent location yet. The museum has been moving in and out. For example, in 1932, the Archaeological Museum was located in the Fort of St John. It was then moved to the Rupe in 1941. At this point, the exhibition of the Archaeological Museum is located on the ground floor of Revelin Fortress. We’ll try to keep you updated if it moves again.