Heritage · Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik-Neretva County

Dubrovnik Old Town

Walled medieval city of the former Republic of Ragusa on the southern Dalmatian coast

Photo: Spencer Davis (@spencerdavis) / Unsplash

Discover Dubrovnik Old Town

Step through the Pile Gate and Dubrovnik's Old Town opens up as a single polished limestone street, the Stradun, running between rows of stone houses towards the old harbour. Side lanes climb steeply up both hillsides, lined with steps, small chapels and shuttered windows, while the whole city sits inside an unbroken ring of walls above the Adriatic.

The Old Town is small enough to cross on foot in a few minutes, yet it rewards slow exploring: the Rector's Palace and Sponza Palace on Luža Square, the Baroque cathedral, the Franciscan monastery with its long-running pharmacy, and quiet corners where washing hangs between houses. Early mornings and evenings show the city at its calmest, when the stone glows in low light and the cafés along the harbour fill with locals.

Don’t miss

01Stradun, the polished limestone main street linking the Pile and Ploče gates
02Rector's Palace, a Gothic-Renaissance seat of government that now houses a museum
03Sponza Palace, a 16th-century Renaissance building that holds the city archives
04Dubrovnik Cathedral, an 18th-century Baroque church holding relics of St Blaise
05Franciscan monastery, whose pharmacy has been in operation since 1317
06Orlando's Column on Luža Square, a Gothic statue dating from 1419

History & culture

The story of Dubrovnik Old Town

Dubrovnik probably grew from a settlement founded in the 7th century, when refugees from the Roman town of Epidaurum (today's Cavtat) moved to a rocky islet then known as Lausa. Over the following centuries the town became Ragusa, a maritime city that from 1358 governed itself as an aristocratic republic. Its merchants traded across the Mediterranean and into Ottoman lands, and the state kept its independence by paying tribute to the Ottomans while competing commercially with Venice. The republic's head of state, the Rector, served for just one month at a time.

A devastating earthquake in 1667 killed more than 5,000 people and destroyed most public buildings, which is why much of what you see today is rebuilt Baroque work alongside surviving Gothic and Renaissance landmarks. The republic was abolished by French forces in 1808. UNESCO inscribed the Old City on the World Heritage List in 1979.

During the 1991-92 siege, the Old Town was hit by hundreds of shells; a UNESCO survey at the time found more than half of its buildings damaged. Most of the restoration was completed in the late 1990s, and the repaired roofs, in slightly different shades of terracotta, still hint at that history.

Local life & traditions

Although it is a major tourist destination, the Old Town is still a lived-in neighbourhood with schools, parishes and family homes. The city's patron saint, St Blaise, is honoured every year on 3 February with Mass, processions and several days of festivities, one of the most important events in the local calendar. Respect for residents matters here: keeping noise down in the narrow lanes and dressing modestly when entering churches are appreciated.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Walk the full length of the Stradun, then lose yourself in the stepped side streets that rise towards the walls on either side. Visit the Rector's Palace for a sense of how the republic was governed, look into the cathedral and the Franciscan cloister, and spend time on Luža Square, where Orlando's Column and the Sponza Palace stand side by side. A circuit of the city walls gives the best overview of the rooftops and the sea.

From the old harbour, small boats run across to the island of Lokrum, and the lower station of the cable car to Mount Srđ is a short walk outside the walls. In summer, the long-established Dubrovnik Summer Festival brings theatre and concerts to squares, palaces and forts around the Old Town.

When to go

Late spring (April to June) and early autumn (September and October) offer warm weather, sea temperatures pleasant for swimming by June, and fewer crowds than high summer. July and August are hot and busy, especially when several cruise ships are in port, so plan sightseeing for early morning and evening. Winters are mild and wet with very little snow; many sights stay open, and February brings the Feast of St Blaise.

Plan your visit

Verified information

World Heritage property: Listed by UNESCO as the Old City of Dubrovnik; the core zone covers 24.7 ha with a 1,188.6 ha buffer zone, and Lokrum Island is a separate component of the same property. Source: whc.unesco.org ↗
City walls operator: The city walls are managed by the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities (Društvo prijatelja dubrovačke starine), Gundulićeva poljana 2, Dubrovnik. Source: citywallsdubrovnik.hr ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Start sightseeing early in the morning or after about 5 pm to avoid the busiest hours in summer.
Wear shoes with good grip: the limestone paving of the Stradun is very smooth and can be slippery.
Cover shoulders and knees when visiting churches and monasteries.
Dubrovnik applies visitor-management rules in the Old Town (for example on noise and luggage); check the city's current rules before arrival, especially if staying inside the walls.
Carry water in summer; the stone streets and walls get very hot in the middle of the day.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Dubrovnik Old Town: food, markets & places to stay

The Old Town sits between the Pile Gate to the west and the Ploče Gate to the east, with city buses stopping just outside the Pile Gate. The main ferry and cruise port is in Gruž, a few kilometres north-west, and Dubrovnik Airport lies about 20 km south-east near Čilipi. Boats to Lokrum leave from the old harbour, and the cable car to Mount Srđ starts a short walk uphill from the northern walls. Accommodation is spread across the Old Town itself, Ploče and the Lapad and Babin Kuk peninsulas.