Walking the Magnificent Dubrovnik City Walls, Croatia.

Here’s the honest part: we actually considered missing these out!! Shoot us now! The reason is that they are quite expensive, and we figured, well, how good can some city walls really be?! Well, how wrong we were, because they are probably the best thing to do in Dubrovnik! But we also managed to use Shorty’s student card twice and get them at a fraction of the price, so that helped too!

Some history on the city walls

The city of Dubrovnik has not always been part of Croatia; hundreds of years ago, it was a country in its own right with enemies and rivals all over the surrounding region.

Those in Istanbul and Venice are the most feared and have the most intense competition. On this rocky island where the city was founded, there have been fortifications of one form or another dating back to the 8th century, when they would most likely have been wooden.

Over the years, a larger and more elaborate fortification was built to protect the city; those that we see today were constructed mainly between the 12th and 17th centuries and are considered to be one of the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages. These walls were never breached by hostiles during this time, and part of that reason is their intelligent design and sheer height.

The walls feature a double line that spans the entire old town of the city. The section closest to the sea is much narrower, so that if captured, it would be easy for the local forces to destroy from the inside their invader’s position, and they would struggle to launch an attack on the city from such narrow walls. The entire course around the city runs for 6.360ft and at some points is up to 82ft in height!

The city walls are a huge source of pride for the locals of Dubrovnik, as they protected the freedom of those living inside them. For hundreds of years, the gates had been open, day and night, to a peaceful Dubrovnik. But during the siege of the city, they were once again closed, and the walls were used to protect the city.

One of the largest and most complete city walls in Europe is a complex structure which includes 3 circular and 14 quadrangular towers, 5 bastions and several other fortresses! Today, they are part of the UNESCO-listed Old Town – we could not wait to explore!

Walking the Dubrovnik City Walls

There are a few entrances to the walls, but you must walk around in an Anti-clockwise fashion as some areas are rather tight. This means that if you begin by the main city gate, you will only find yourself at the main fortress towards the end of your visit, so plan carefully if the weather is due to turn or you only have a short amount of time.

We decided to head up via that main entrance and see the south side of the walls, which face out towards the sea, first. I think, in reflection, this is the best way to do it; the views here are amazing, but those on the north really are a highlight; this way you get to build up to the best sections rather than seeing them first and the rest not feeling as impressive!

As soon as we began our ascent of the steep steps towards the walls, I could see why everyone flocked up here…and why it would have been worth paying full price had we had to. The famous terracotta roofs now revealed themselves across the whole of the city, and you could get a clear view down the beautiful main street of Dubrovnik. I now realise it’s one of the best things to do in Dubrovnik.

Looking out over the other side, we were greeted by the Adriatic, one of the most stunning seas in the world. The sun was beating down as we explored the walls, and the colour was just magnificent. The dramatic cliffs on which these walls are built are also quite a breathtaking sight.

To see the powerful waves splashing up against the jagged rocks and pock-marked, centuries-old walls is to be taken back in time to when these fortifications were essential to the survival of the city. And in a strange way, they still are; apparently, the economy here is pretty much solely based on tourism.

Up here, there is so much to see in all directions. The walls can often feel a little intrusive, and yet at the same time I am always intrigued when it comes to the real lives of the people in the cities we visit.

From here you could literally peer into people’s gardens, and some houses even join on to parts of the wall. There was a guy who had a section of it as a sun deck and was selling a few homemade wares from his kitchen door!

After the wall takes a short detour and up some rather steep steps, you enter the northern section. Here the walls are much thicker; they considered the threat from the land to be greater than that from the sea, and much taller. This is also where the vast majority of the fortresses and bastions sit, each one towering over the already high walls and offering unparalleled views over this beautiful city.

It is from this angle here that you can really appreciate the city in all its glory; the lines and lines of orange rooftops and the contrasting blue sea in the background are beyond words. The white spires of the churches that made this city so appealing for the Game of Thrones poke out in the sea of orange to create a picture-perfect scene.

I could have stood here for days, taking in the vista and yet noticing the details such as the tiny basketball courts built into the walls and the differences between the buildings damaged in the war and those ones that passed through unscathed.

When in Dubrovnik, there is no question that visiting the walls is a must-do; this is without a doubt the most amazing way to see what is a spectacular old city. The Pearl of the Adriatic truly is a priceless gem.

How to visit

The city walls have 3 main entrances and a few places dotted around where you can buy tickets. The best way is to head to the main one right by the Pile Gate and buy your ticket at the door.

The walls take a couple of hours to walk around as there is so much to see; I would recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds and the midday heat. But it is also a wonderful place to watch the sunset.

Another option is to take a guided tour where you’ll get to know much more about the city, its history and the fascinating Dubrovnik City Walls.