Dubrovnik -Sunrise in the old town and outside the city walls

The Bura feels no mercy. Mercilessly, she unleashes another gust of wind on us. My fingers are clammy after just a few minutes and the strands of hair on my head sticking out in all directions definitely don’t deserve the name “hairstyle”. The dry, cold, gusty wind, whose name was derived from the Greek god of the north winds – Boreas, brought winter to Croatia from one day to the next. Despite the relentless wind, which made me shiver to the bone after just a few minutes, we hold out in the cold. Because the Bura also brings crystal clear weather and intense shades to the coast of Dalmatia. Perfect weather to catch the first rays of sunshine that will make Dubrovnik shine in a golden glow.

Just to capture this moment, we set the alarm for 6 o’clock in the morning. Dubrovnik is at its most charming during the quiet morning hours. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., before the daily madness begins with the masses of invading cruise tourists, the pearl on the Adriatic shows its most beautiful side. Early risers will be rewarded with pastel-coloured sky colours and deserted old town streets.

Photo spot no. 1 – Sunrise with a view of the old town wall

On the first morning, we position ourselves directly at the entrance to the striking Fort Lovrijenac, which is perched on a rocky outcrop to the west of the old town wall. The village can be reached in a few minutes from the Pile. First walk straight ahead to the harbour and then take the steps up to the fortress on the right. If you can withstand the wind up here (or limit the time a little more precisely), you can experience how Dubrovnik is kissed out of its beauty sleep by the first ray of sunshine.

Photo spot No. 2 inD ubrovnik

The second photo spot is located directly behind the fortress. Today, the Gradac park is partly used as a car park, but also offers beautiful panoramic views of the city and the Adriatic Sea. I find the view of the idyllically situated Sulici beach particularly appealing.

A lap on the ramparts

In order to warm up the body a bit after sunrise, we headed directly for the city wall. The tour of the Wall is one of the most popular tourist activities and accordingly the day is teeming with snapping and posing people from all over the world. The city wall can be visited from 8 a.m. So early in the morning you still have the city wall to yourself. We take the staircase at the Pile Gate. Another staircase is located at the Ploce Gate. For the complete tour of the almost 2-kilometer-long city wall, you have to allow at least an hour. The entrance ticket costs 100 kuna (pay either in kuna or by credit card – euros are not accepted) and it is better to keep it within reach, because if you walk past the second entrance, you have to show the ticket again. On our tour we have the city wall to ourselves. No one is standing in front of the perfect photo opportunity, we don’t have to queue anywhere. Again and again we pause for a moment and let the different perspectives of the city work their magic on us. We reach the highest point, the Minceta Fortress, shortly before the end of the tour and watch with a bird’s eye view how tourists now stream into the city from all sides. For us, on the other hand, a relaxed breakfast outside the old town is now on the program.

Note: My trip to Dubrovnik was supported by the Croatian National Tourist Board – thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.