To the Coast of Croatia: Jewel of the Adriatic Sea

Our trip to Kotor met its match in a journey to the Croatian Coast. The same preponderance of historical buildings, including cathedrals, but on a grander scale. We found ourselves at the Game of Thrones city itself -- Dubrovnik. Unsurprisingly, our journey was not especially different from Kotor, though this time the car ride was shorter by a couple hours.

After an entire six hours traveling, I could not muster the energy for a full scale exploration. Keeping things simple meant walking through the town, seeing flowers across the way. Though the weather was not scorching per se -- it only hit 90F (32C) once -- the constant sunshine bore down. Fortunately, my heat tolerance carried me through. Throughout the visit, no day dropped below 68F (20C), which felt unusual for June.

The Trip

Day 1 (June 10)

On day 1, we went across town, ending up towards the Gruz Harbor. Sadly, the harbor itself more boasted medium to large boats rather than majestic sights. (Not to worry as more engrossing sea vistas awaited us in the coming days.) Ducking into stores for air conditioning gave the chance for grocery shopping. Naturally, compared to Bosnia, the prices were steeper and more comparable to the US. Seven Croatian kuna to 1 USD is a conversion factor we practically memorized.

On the way back, I spotted some excellent bougainvilleas across the way.

Day 2 (June 11)

After waiting a day, it was time. We drove to the famous Old City and found ourselves at the foot of the Pile Gate. Guidebooks had warned about the impossibility of finding a place to set our rental car. Fortunately, there was space reserved for persons with disabilities (with the international blue sign of a wheelchair user imprinted in white). The Pile Gate provides an impressive entry point: over the old drawbridge, which once rose and fell every day at sunset. Now it remained closed.

From there, we walked along the stone paths, traveled within the fortifications, and passed by many shops and restaurants. Naturally there were at least 3 stores selling licensed Game of Thrones merchandise. Numerous side alleys gave us a place to duck in and hide from the sun before venturing back onto the main path.

 

 

Right within the area there was an obvious feature: an awe-inspiring fountain standing above us and with several ornately designed heads. The water dripping forth was tempting to drink. Instead, I walked to head and splashed my face with water, readying myself to travel this area.

 Next was the Dubrovnik Port. Compared to the Gruz Harbor, this area was much freer of boats, giving a grand view of the water all around. In the area was a single fountain head -- with it was another chance to splash my face.

A crowd of people swarmed around the Rector's Palace from Roman era. It is considered one of the most impressive structures of the area. This was also my first time learning what a Rector was. Their role is essentially: a figure elected publicly who speaks the will of the people and lives inside the palace for an entire month. Such a place has to be expansive and elaborate. We simply passed by today. My chance to go inside would come two days later.

After a walk through the walled area, we found our way towards Fort Lovrjenac (Lawrence). In Game of Thrones, this area is known as the Red Keep, which creates a rather intense image. 

 

 

From our view on the West Dubrovnik Harbor, a long line of steps led up. In the harbor itself, kayaks were available for rental. This little area featured much beauty from its seclusion from the greater body of water. The fort presiding over the area makes it an especially strong place to look at from afar. (We could see the broader area from our tables at the Nautika and Dubravka restaurants in fact. )

We ate at Magnolia outside the Walls and did some more exploring. Climbing along a walkway was especially tough after I was already tired. There was a fort at the top, lifting my flagging spirits a little bit.

 

 

 

 

 

The urge to lie down called but I did not listen. Instead, my wandering spirit sought out the craggy heights of Mt Srd. We drove up winding, narrow paths that could scarcely accommodate one car. The mountain was only 10 minutes away, but took an extra ten to make the way up. At last, we were at a majestic vantage. The mountain rose above the famous walls of Dubrovnik, giving a great sight from afar. Naturally, this was another Game of Thrones filming of location.

An island sat in the distance: that of Lokrum, only a 15 minute ferry ride from the city. Perhaps Game of Thrones came up, but this too appeared in the television show. As should be pretty obvious, Lokrum features a dense array of trees.

The entire Old City stood before us, giving a sight to my goal: mounting the City walls.

It was not actually a light choice to climb to the city's historic rim. Because the price was 250 kuna ($36 USD), I had a serious decision to make about going up the city walls. This would likely be a commitment of an hour or two.

With my muscle condition, this could be challenging, even more so than the fortress I spotted early on Day 2. My companions warned me about this possibility. I had also seen for myself how steep, how laden with steps, this city could be (like on the right). However, it occurred to me that the steps would only pose an occasional problem -- I resolved to go ahead.

 

 

 

Day 3 (June 12)
Of course, as it goes, we chose the 32C (90F) day to mount the walls. I slathered on sunscreen to protect my pale skin from destruction by the sun. Not long after, I fought my fears and began the ascent up the walls. The steps were many, with narrow railing boiling to the touch. Fortunately, the metal rails were just cool enough for me to hold on for balance while making my way up. My confidence stumbled with another staircase right after. At the very top, though, I realized that this was entirely doable, even if tough. The walls themselves naturally had changes in elevation, but the path was generally manageable with walking a little slower. This way, I kept my energy throughout, even during the 1.5 hrs we spent moving. (Along the way, we passed probably 3 or more cafes catered towards the tourists taking the same journey. There were a fair few benches, and sometimes I made do with sitting on the stone of the wall.) Rest assured that we were drenched in sweat, and coated with sun, throughout the vast majority of this time.

That apprehension cast aside, I enjoyed the great sights from those heights. For example, Fort Lovrjenac was picturesque against idyllic waters of the Adriatic.

From a distance, I observed the protrusion of Fort Minceta (of course another piece of Game of Thrones tourism). Admittedly the stone aesthetic was not especially eyecatching. Instead, the experience of being that high up was the true reward. The features of the city and the forts were before me, even with my concern over fatigue.

Sadly, these particular steps looked downright dangerous. My companions did not permit me to walk up and we let just one of us go up there. (Even ascending to the level *before* this one was tricky.) From this vantage, I was curious how this Fort operated -- there looked to be just the top and just one room at my level. This almost made me want to watch Game of Thrones to find out for myself.

Fort Minceta impressed me even without a full ascension. The scale of the stonework begs attention and it is so clear why this structure draws attention. Perhaps its height is akin to the barriers I had myself faced. After going down the steps, by the Pile gate, we found ourselves at the start. For our troubles, we grabbed gelato, giving a brief chilly pause.

 

Hours later, I returned to the scene of the crime 2 hours before our dinner reservations. You may be wondering why. My access to the Walls was actually in the form of a City Pass, granting free admission to a certain few museums not just the Fortification. Namely the Franciscan Monastery and the Rector's Palace. Both showed ornate designs from ages long past. 

 

The Franciscan Monastery was a nice iteration on Christian designs and itself a storage of many religious paintings. Of note was a garden with a cross-shaped walkway and a pharmacy that far predates me. Back then, medicines were stored individually in beautiful vases, which is a marked different from plastic containers.

Admittedly, while pleasant, the Rector's Palace was my real goal. Surprisingly, Sunday afternoon was not an especially busy time for the museum. Because there was only an hour to closing, this was welcome news. Some rooms looked more like a history museum, but other areas were genuinely impressive. The sprawling staircases leading upstairs, for example, caught my eye quite readily. Walking through made for dynamic experience as the aesthetic continued to morph.

Some sort of time-measuring contraption was on display on the second floor. Of course, there were other devices, such as iron chests used to lock valuables. Even years ago, technology was quite clever. That's why we continue to study history!

The greatest surprise was finding a dungeon cell on the first floor. Through one small door, and then through another. The claustrophobia became quite palpable when I stood up inside. The light coming in from outside felt filtered, as if you were given just a taste. This must have been a terrifying place to be locked up. 

 

 

 

 

 

   

After a great time at the Palace, I hurried to Dubravka, where we ate a fancy meal. We then decided to walk to the Buza Bar. This led us through unfamiliar territory -- past the painfully elevated Spanish Steps, and across small sets of stairs with wooden ramps. This area was not even well lit. Despite this issue, and a longer distance, we found our way to the steep Budza Bar area. While my companions went further down, I contented myself with a beautiful view of the sunset. (Honestly, the restaurant with bright lights situated just above the beach felt a touch gimmicky to me.) All in all, a strong end to my last evening in Croatia. 

Just outside the Rector's Palace, there was the sleepiest cat one can imagine. Lying with their eyes closed, curled up. After some time, maybe 30 minutes, the cat walked to the other side, jumped up, and closed their eyes again. No matter what kind of place this was, the cat still wanted to sleep.

  

 

 

 

 

Food
Being on vacation, I took it upon myself to try out foods ranging from decent to excellent.  Some meals came more from the grocery store, but even that felt satiating. The higher than average amount of walking throughout 3 days surely helped here.

Shizuku (6/10)

Asian food in the Balkans is not exactly common. The sharp skew towards Italian food especially is almost unfunny. Croatia, as a more wide-open country than Bosnia, follows this general trend. Surprisingly, a couple guide books on Dubrovnik pointed out this Japanese restaurant named Shizuku. (Even more shocking: Shizuku is within a more modern area of the city.) In a fit of excitement, I made a reservation with the promise of Croatian sushi. 

Upon arrival, we realized that Shizuku had merged with Trinity, giving a joint place that serves Asian fusion. As a consequence, we ordered fare like maki rolls and nigiri alongside fish carpaccio and pad thai. Such a meal was the perfect antidote to a deep road trip-induced hunger. Alongside our meal, a DJ played music, adding excitement to our experience. Access to this food filled my stomach and gave me a great burst of energy. I look forward to this type of eating once back in the US. We all felt a nostalgia from eating here.

Magnolia (6/11)
The restaurant Magnolia sits right outside the Old City, close to the Pile Gate. This marked a comfortable place to recharge after hours of traversing the path just beyond the Gate. Out of curiosity, I picked a familiar dish. A good fish and chips dish exists at the intersection of flavorful fish and proper breading. While my fish and chips here certainly hosted nice cod, as expected, the breading was thick and not as pleasant. Surprisingly, the fish and chips I had early in 2021, while in Astoria, was a much better take.

Nautika (6/11)
This place we had planned to come to months in advance. Nautika, as it turns out, is considered one of the best restaurants in the world, winning many accolades -- including becoming Michelin starred. There was an elevated chance for high prices. Furthermore, the menu appeared restrictive to some of us, especially in combination with the prices. I had to set aside my dread of spending steep prices for food. At some point, we resolved ourselves to the meal and made our way over.

A mansion awaited us, creating a backdrop to our meal outdoors. The night had already decisively fallen, creating a quieted atmosphere. The ambience, I must say, was incredible, giving us a beautiful view onto the Dubrovnik West Harbor and the Fort Lovrjenac (Lawrence).  Alongside this experience, a skilled musician played piano while singing, including soft, jazzy versions of hits like "Time After Time." (This was quite the surprise for me!)

Before our main courses came, we were greeted with an egg meringue containing a tomato. The acidic flavor was not unlike ketchup, but richer. House-made butter came next, complementing the bread brought before us. Such side dishes prepared us for the main meal. This built up the anticipation of a great meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received a steak, cooked medium-rare and from French cattle, adorned with many items including corn and a cooked section of beet. Of course, my mom has made beef curry with beet quite a few times. But this dish pushed me to eat all of the beet with the beef, instead of my old habit. Perhaps the most shocking addition is the corn, which still paired well with the steak. For such a pedestrian-seeming dish, this was made to perfection.

The piano accompaniment proved to be lovely enough that I sat for a few minutes transfixed. Inside Nautika was a beautiful waiting room. Up close, the performer seemed more magnetic, able to draw audience attention just off his skill as a pianist and singer. Every song was likely a cover, but none felt quite like the original. Given that we paid around $150 USD (1050 kuna), they practically owed us luxury. My last Michelin starred restaurant must have been several years ago -- admittedly I was quite satisfied. 

Because of our 9:30 pm reservation, our meal did not end until close to 11 pm. Still, we were excited to go out through the Pile Gate once more. By my standards, we arrived late -- past midnight or so -- but for good cause.
 

Dubravka 1836 (6/12)
This restaurant, belonging in the Nautika family of eateries, also featured reasonably upscale cuisine. We sat across from the walled structures arising from the harbor , granting a similarly grand view. Originally we planned to eat at Zuzori, a Balkans style place within the walls, but ended up here. My meal consisted of nicely cooked fish within a European context. Alongside this fish steak, I shared beef steak. The meal itself was not as spectacular as with Nautika. The greatest show was in fact put on by swallows that flew in thick circles, swooping down and across the sky before us. Such a show inspired us to take a stroll into the night once more.

 

 

 

Things missed:

Many fascinating islands surround the city of Dubrovnik. From Mt Srd, and from the City Walls (below), one can clearly see Lokrum -- one of these islands. Ultimately, we decided that the 15 minute ferry was not worth the price. At the same time, the islands of Korcula (alleged birthplace of Marco Polo) and Mljet (featuring an acclaimed National Park) required hours of ferry travel.

There are other cities like Split, along the Croatian coast, that would also make for interesting trips. Sadly, there is only so much time in a day. Before coming here, I actually investigated traveling to the capital city of Zageb but ruled it out. Perhaps another day I will see more. 

Overall impressions:

Driving back, I had the chance to reflect on my time there. After only twenty minutes of driving, we were back in bordering Bosnia, seeing the Adriatic Sea from a distance. To me, this city we just visited should be in this other country, not Croatia. The placement of this city feels so puzzling. Perhaps that adds to its mystique, making this time even more memorable.

All in all, the city of Dubrovnik gave us a great chance to roam the historical area and take a slice of Croatian life for ourselves. Traversing the area encircled by the Pile Gate was the clear highlight, whether we went above or with the ancient road. The chance to eat at Michelin-starred Nautika was certainly not bad either! Like the other travels this June, I emerged wiser and more experience.

That's all one can ask for, right?