Two Beautiful Cities at the Adriatic Sea
However, you can say that almost all countries in Europe are naturally beautiful. Then, I would say this country has more breathtaking views due to the Adriatic Sea on one side and mountain ranges on the other.
Natural beauty of Adriatic Sea
So, any guesses?
Let me give you more hints.
It has fascinating histories with mixed cultures influenced by many empires dated back to Romans - offering the best preserved Roman palace in the world. And mesmerizing natural settings with crystal clear blue waters of the Adriatic Sea, lush green islands, rocky mountains, and old heritage coastal cities.
Also, a popular destination for cinematography, got its due popularity when HBO shot one of the most successful and loved shows - Game of Thrones (GOT), at various film locations in cities like Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar.
Yes, I am talking about Croatia.
So, we planned to cover its two beautiful cities - Dubrovnik and Split in 6 days.
Our 6 days itinerary was full of …
Exploring two beautiful cities in various ways, having delicious and sumptuous meals at an Indian restaurant, witnessing the film location of GOT, having a fun-filled cruise trip to three islands, etc.
Day 1
We reached Dubrovnik after a 5-hour flight, world heritage and most visited city of Croatia, checked in at our room booked through Airbnb.
The host was really sweet and helpful. Within minutes she gave a small and worthy introduction of the entire town - that tap water is good to drink, where and how to travel through the public transport, full or half-day getaways to nearby islands, etc.
Fun fact - the city is situated on a hilly slope and goes down to the seashore. So, you may climb up and down a quite many stairs from your hotel/room to the old city (Once coming back at night, we climbed almost 30 flight of stairs. Even, my husband had to walk around 50 stories to get some croissants for the breakfast - for some extra cravings 😜).
The first activity I was too determined to complete - was to walk its old city center, which is enclosed by medieval walls called Walls of Dubrovnik and battlements offering views of the old port.
Walls of Dubrovnik
Let me describe a bit of the old city center for you.
A small center paved with light-colored limestones - shiny and polished due to the heavy footfalls of residents for a few centuries and tourists in recent times. It's full of prominent churches, museums, fancy stores selling authorized GOT merchandise, restaurants with sitting areas in the small gullies, shops offering a variety of delicacies to satisfy the sweet-tooth cravings of tourists.
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| Old city center paved with limestones |
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| Stairs for city center |
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| GOT merchandise at shops |
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| See, I am here!! |
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| St Blaise's Church at Old city center |
Frankly speaking, I had never heard of Dubrovnik before watching GOT. Its old town was used as the backdrop for King's Landing and filmed many famous scenes there.
We also spotted the Jesuit Stairs, where the most iconic scene of GOT - Walk of Shame in which Cersi Lannister was forced to walk naked through the streets of the King's Landing.
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| Jesuit Stairs |
We happily ended our day by having an unexpectedly delicious dinner at the Indian cuisine restaurant - Incredible India in the same old city center. (It always feel good when you find great Indian food outside the country)
Day 2
We started our day with a lovely breakfast at the hotel's terrace. The host was kind enough to pick us some fresh home-grown fruits and vegetables from the garden. This was quite a sight in Dubrovnik that almost every house had its own garden, and many of them had pomegranates and tomatoes grown.
Loaded ourselves for a day full of adventure. First, we explored the beautiful city from the top of the hill by a cable car ride from the old town and were amazed by the breathtaking and panoramic view of Dubrovnik with a backdrop of the Adriatic Sea.
The top of the hill offers a great place to soak in the sunset, with rocky mountains at one side and the Adriatic Sea with a great view (filled with lush-green islands) on the other.
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| At the cable car tower |
Then, we spent the remaining day exploring the beautiful city via public transport. Getting around the city by public bus provides the best way to experience the town.
Day 3
We headed out early this day to witness some beautiful islands and experience authentic Croatian culture a bit more.
It was a full-day cruise trip from Dubrovnik to three sparsely-inhabited and unspoiled islands, Kolocep, Lopud, and Sipan, known as Elaphiti Islands.
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| Elaphiti Island |
Visiting these lush green islands is no less than magic. Riding through crystal clear blue waters of the Adriatic Sea was spectacular and one of the most naturally beautiful things I had seen in Croatia.
Clearly, this has to be on everyone's bucket list when in Croatia.
Stopping at different islands allowed us to explore the beautiful tiny towns and villages with an impressive history. They offer a really traditional, untouched, serene feel, nothing like other beach towns with huge party scenes elsewhere in Croatia.
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Kolocep is closest to Dubrovnik and has around population of 300 people. It is a good place for relaxation and allows leisure walks on its sandy beaches.
Like Kolocep, Lopud is also beautiful, with sandy beaches and a clean blue sea. We enjoyed walking through the island and its lush vegetation.
At last, we visited Sipan, the largest of the Elaphiti Islands. We stroll around for the local sightseeing, souvenir shopping, and tasting some local food.
Believe me, if you are a beach person and clear blue water is your calling, these islands will never disappoint you.
Our in-house cook prepared a barbeque on the boat, we opted for some grilled veggies and some local wine he selected for us. At last, he threw some meat leftovers to the sea-gulls around, and they started snatching the food from the sailing boat. Quite a sight, I must say.
It was a worthy day, full of great memories and with a much better understanding of all the fascinating history, culture, and nature of Croatia, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
This is how we spent 3 Days of a memorable trip in the magnificent city.
Day 4
We started our 5-hour bus journey to Split. There are two ways to reach Split, via bus or ferry.
Luckily, I choose the bus over the ferry. It was an unforgettable journey. I did not want to blink eyes for a moment.
My jaw got wider when I passed through the most beautiful areas of Europe that asked me to stop now and then to capture some spectacular views.
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| Bus journey on the coastal road |
We reached Split in the evening and rushed to its famous old town - a historical and cultural center in Croatia. I believe there is no better way to discover a city than to walk.
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| City center - Split - Diocletian's Palace |
It felt unreal to walk around something so beautiful and grand. The city center is full of eateries, café, bars, and local shops selling traditional art and craft. I should say it was the best city center I have ever been to.
Day 5
We first select to visit the Klis Fortress, located around the mountains. It provides the best view of the city, the Adriatic Sea, and neighboring islands.
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| Klis Fortress |
Few GOT scenes like the city of Meereen were also filmed here. If you are a hardcore fan of this worldwide popular TV show. Then, you should not miss visiting it. There is also an exhibition dedicated to this show.
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We spent some time walking around the fortification and reliving the history of the fortress.
Then, we headed back to the city center and explored some local souvenir shops filled with merchandise from popular movies and shows like Harry Potter and Star Wars.
One with Dobby - The House-elf
Suddenly, our eyes caught a view of the infamous IRON THRONE chair in a fancy souvenir shop. And, of course, we didn't miss a chance to sit and capture some pictures with it.
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| The rightful heirs of Iron Throne 😜 |
After that, it was the time to explore the history of the most impressive roman architecture,
Diocletian’s Palace. The palace is located in the old town of Split, which is considered to be one of the best-preserved roman architecture in the world.
We purchased tickets to take the tour of cells residing in the basement of the palace for some history sessions - popularly known as The Dragonpit by GOT fans. Also, I was amazed to see how the whole space of the sub-structural has not changed throughout the past centuries.
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| Basement of Diocletian's Palace |
In the end, we chose to spend a few hours in the evening at the sandy Bacvice beach - full of people spending time having fun with family and friends.
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| Bacvice beach - Split |
Day 6
We checked out from our hotel in Split and began the bus journey back to Dubrovnik.
After a quick lunch, we hopped on the cab for the airport to catch our return flights to Bucharest.
It was a time for goodbye to the beautiful, pristine, historical, and scenic location of Europe - Croatia.
We definitely want to visit again. Cities like Zadar, Pula, and places like Plitvice Lakes.
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