Step Into A Film Set On The Streets Of Dubrovnik

By Lauren Regan.

Some places feel like you're stepping into a film set, but in Dubrovnik, you really are.

On a dull October day, we hopped on a plane at Manchester Airport, and in three short hours, we were stepping into the medieval marvel that is Dubrovnik's Old Town. Marble streets, terracotta rooftops, and bright blue water stretch out as far as you can see, and every twisty-turny street offers another glimpse into the city's colourful history.

We stayed at the impressive Royal Neptune, a seafront wonderland in Lapad, around 15 minutes outside the city walls. The room's balcony overlooks a turquoise blue bay, with the hotel's restaurants tucked away along the craggy seafront below.

Now, a confession. I boarded the flight in good health, or at least the vague approximation of it I'd managed to cobble together after a week of travelling home from Canada and eating like a raccoon. By the time we landed, I had full-blown tonsillitis. Proper, Victorian-child-in-a-sanatorium-style tonsillitis. When people say they spent a holiday sweaty, high on drugs, and horizontal, it's rarely due to antibiotics and glandular inflammation. But, how many times can you sip an Aperol Spritz on the streets of King's Landing? Exactly. So, I pulled myself together, and after a brief pit stop to speak to the world's most patient pharmacist, we started our adventure.

We arrived in Dubrovnik with really no plan of what to expect, but walking the city walls was top of my bucket list. Tickets are about €30 each and after a steep climb up the stone steps, you're on the walls with the whole of the city stretching out below you as you navigate up and down. As you circle the two-kilometre stretch, you'll spot terracotta rooftops tumbling down to the sea, church domes rising through the skyline, and fortress towers keeping watch over the coast. On the west side, you'll see Fort Lovrijenac across the water (better known to Game of Thrones fans as the Red Keep), and if you're brave enough to peek over the edge and down into the Old Town's narrow streets, you'll recognise the Pile Gate and Blackwater Bay. From the higher ramparts, the view spills over the Adriatic, dotted with kayakers and the green shape of Lokrum Island in the distance. It's one of the rare places where you feel equally in awe of natural beauty, history, and pop culture all at once.

The city walls are narrow, so there are points where you can really only walk in a single file, and at one point, we got stuck behind a walking tour. It was led by a Croatian man with the patience of a saint and the eyes of someone who has explained many times before the difference between local history and what, in fact, was just made up by George RR Martin. I thought he was getting somewhere until, while he was explaining that if you look closely, you can still see the damage caused to the walls during the Seige of Dubrovnik in the 90s, the man in front of me turned to his wife and excitedly, more importantly sincerely, said: "that must be from the dragons". Incredible. 10/10 comedy gold. If I had turned around and gone home right then, the trip would have been worth it.

On the third day, somewhere between "Look, it's the Jesuit Stairs !" and "I think my throat's closing up!" we found ourselves stumbling on a hidden basketball court tucked into the city walls. One minute, we were following a sign for a hidden wine bar; the next, my partner had followed the enticing sound of a ball being bounced, and we found ourselves standing on a stone ledge looking down at a perfectly painted court surrounded by towering walls. There were two boys playing one-on-one with the sort of focus usually reserved for the NBA, and it felt like we had unlocked a secret level of Dubrovnik, a reminder that for all of its charm and movie-set qualities, this isn't Disneyland; it's a modern city where people are living their daily lives.

Dubrovnik has capitalised on the city's small screen fame, and who can blame them, with the estimated revenue from tourism sitting at £200 million in just five years, making it the third-highest earning city from tourism after London (thanks to Harry Potter) and New Zealand (Lord of the Rings). Wander down the cobbled main streets in the old town, and you'll come across a few gift stores offering the opportunity to dress up as your favourite character from Game of Thrones, and with half an hour to spare before lunch, it would have been rude not to. Being from the North, I quite fancied myself as a Stark (grit, stoicism, and who doesn't love a fur-lined cape), but the photographer took one look at my blonde hair and proclaimed, no, I was Lannister through and through. Which I'm still not really sure how to take to be honest. After assuring her my boyfriend was not my brother, we were kitted out in silk dresses, and capes and wielding swords for our pictures on the Iron Throne, and I'm not ashamed to admit I think I found my signature look.

Our walks around the old town were punctuated with regular coffee stops. Dubrovnik is a city that understands the value of a good café and it gave us a chance to rest our legs before we hopped on the cable car to watch the sunset from the top of Mount Srđ. The cable cars speed 2,500 feet in about three minutes from the lower station which sits just north of the city walls and within easy walking distance. During the ride, you can enjoy fantastic views of Dubrovnik's terracotta rooftops, the coastline of Dalmatia, and archipelagos sprinkled across the water. The view from the top is incredible; the whole city spread out below like a toy model, the Adriatic stretching forever. We timed our trip for sunset, which felt poetic and romantic until an incredibly drunk man started yapping in the distinct tones of someone from the Northeast. Of all the places I thought I would hear someone slur their way through memories of Metroland (a long extinct amusement park that was based in a shopping mall back home), I didn't think it would be here.

Sunset was around 6 pm, and the dinner at the top was wonderfully refined, a linen-clothed restaurant with panoramic views and a menu offering both lobster bisque and, to my delight - grilled cheese toasties. Naturally, I ordered the toastie. There are few things more satisfying than eating something deeply comforting while perched above an ancient city pretending to be royalty. I'm not sure about the official wine pairing for a cheese toastie but it went down deliciously with an Aperol Spritz. The whole thing was delicious, and I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy watching the city's lights sparkle to life below.

After a ride back down the mountain, we headed back to the hotel to replenish my medicine levels and enjoy a game of cards or two with the waves sloshing below. Three days were enough to fall in love with Dubrovnik but not enough to see it all. Given more time, I would love to get out on the water and explore some of the hidden coves and islands around the peninsula. However, I guess there is always next time.

If you're looking for a break that blends beauty, history (some real, some not), and a bit of fantasy cosplay, Dubrovnik is it. Just remember to bring good shoes, a sense of humour, and, apparently, a cape. You never know when you'll need to take your rightful seat on the throne.

MOLE works with businesses in the UK and Canada to find their voice, tell their stories, and shape their future. To speak to Lauren about your organisation's ambitions, reach out on [email protected]