This is the first series of $10 in 2020, as I gotta postpone the publishing schedule as the last Wednesday was new year's day… Are you excited?!
And I've got a lot of reasons why I have to be excited about this first post. First of all, there's something about new year that always comes with the positivity and good things and hope that come along. To top it all, the first post in the series in 2020 will be covering a city in the country that is on top of my bucket list: Croatia!
If you managed to read my new year's resolution, I'm planning to visit the country anytime soon. So, after we covered the capital city Zagreb in the first few posts of the series almost 2 years ago, this week we're gonna talk about Dubrovnik!
Yep, the city that has gained its popularity in the past few years, thanks to Game of Thrones. And thanks to Ashlea of Dashing Around The World, now we can see how far we could get around Dubrovnik. So, what's the city beyond the GoT?
How To Spend Your Budget in the Beautiful Croatian Coastal City
Dubrovnik is one of Europe's top holiday destinations, but despite this, $10 USD (or 65 kuna- the Croatian currency) can still get you pretty far in this beautiful city. Dubrovnik is quite accessible, and if you're planning to travel domestic from any other place in Croatia, you can easily go to Dubrovnik either by bus or by flight.
Flying is fastest answer if you want to know how to get to Dubrovnik, but traveling by bus can also be a great experience to enjoy the scenery along the way. We spent over a week in Croatia, and here are some of the bargains you can find in its tourism capital- Dubrovnik!
Walk the Old Town
Explore the old town for free and soak up the amazing atmosphere and sights of one of the world's most well preserved medieval cities.
Make sure to check out Pile Gate, the 300 meter long Stradun (the widest street/thoroughfare in the old city), the Rectors Palace, and the many churches in the old town!
Then simply wander the back streets of this gorgeous city and see what you can find.
Dubrovnik Old Town View.
Have an Ice Cream at the Old Port
In the summer you'll find quite a few ice cream stands in the port area of the old town.
For just 15 kuna (around $2.25 USD) grab yourself some delicious ice cream and follow the old walls around to the rocky outcrop where many young locals swim, hang out, and jump off the rocks into the gorgeous blue ocean (you'll also have great views of Lokrum Island).
Grab a Beer
If you’re more of a cold brew than an ice cream person, head to the ‘beach' for a beer, which will set you back 30 – 50 kuna ($4.50 – $7.40 USD, depending on the place- and whether its happy hour!).
In this case, beach is a relative term, really, you'll sit in a unique rocky bar and swimming area set into the outside of the old city walls, it's quite the unique Dubrovnik experience. Our favorite was Buze bar!
Visit the Impressive Lovrijenac Fortress
For only 50 kuna ($7.50 USD), you can visit the amazing Lovrijenac Fortress, where back in the 11th century the city successfully fended off a Venetian takeover by constructing this very fortress (a plan the Venetians also had) before their arrival… Well, they managed to construct the outer walls at least, giving the impression of a much more intimidating structure.
Plus, you can see where lots of other (less historically accurate, but also super interesting) events happened, as this fortress was one of the big Game of Thrones filming locations (if you're interested in that kind of thing… We are!).
*note if you are interested in some game of thrones trivia but don’t want to fork out for a tour, head to the fortress around 11am when many tour groups will be crowding the halls (and sneakily listen in).
Dubrovnik view from Fortress.
Get Incredible Panoramic Views from Mt. Srd
If you're feeling athletic (and not visiting in the middle of summer), why not hike up the track to Mt. Srd for free?
The trip takes 1.5-2 hours return for the moderately fit… Although expect longer than the 30 minutes Google map says, unless you are very fit since Dubrovnik is steep!
If you're not feeling that athletic, the local bus (#17) goes from Pile Gate (in the old town) to the town of Bosanka, just a short walk up to the lookout at Mount Srd. Bus tickets cost 15 kunas (around $2.25 USD) one way or 30 kunas (around $4.50) for a day ticket.
What a perfect way to end your budget Dubrovnik exploration!
Contributor: Ashlea from Dashing Around The World
Ashlea is one of the Australian duo behind Dashing Around the World. She has traveled to over 45 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon! She loves sharing the incredible adventures, destination guides and travel tips from her journey and is rarely seen without a spreadsheet for researching, planning, or documenting her travel adventures.
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