Dubrovnik

Walking the full circuit of the City Walls is the essential experience, with views over the Old Town, the old harbour and the island of Lokrum. Along the way you pass towers and bastions, and look across to Fort Lovrijenac (St Lawrence Fortress), perched on its own rock just outside the walls.

The main street, Stradun, leads past the Rector’s Palace and the Sponza Palace, with narrow stepped lanes climbing away on either side. The cable car up Mount Srđ offers the most famous panorama of the city, and a short boat ride from the old harbour takes you to the green island of Lokrum.

On our Balkan tours Dubrovnik is a highlight of the Croatian coast, easily combined with Kotor and Mostar. It is included in the All the Balkan Countries: A 16 Day Tour and the Full Balkan Experience: A 10 Day Tour, both of which follow the Adriatic coast between Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Walk the walls early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when it is cooler and quieter, and wear comfortable shoes for the many steps. The city is busiest in midsummer, so spring and autumn are the most pleasant times to visit, with warm days and softer light on the stone.

Gallery photos: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0), kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0), Sumitsurai (CC BY-SA 4.0), Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 4.0), Ponor (CC BY-SA 4.0), Jerzy Strzelecki (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons