One Day in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, like Kotor, is a medieval walled city built along the Adriatic Coast. Unlike Kotor, it’s hyper-expensive (the single most expensive place I stayed on the trip, possibly barring Denmark), filled with tourists, and loud.

It's also quite pretty and distinctive:

The rooftops of Dubrovnik

I actually kind of preferred Kotor’s mountain scenery to Dubrovnik’s more traditional hilly coastal setting, but there’s no denying that there’s more to do here. I mean, there are not one, not two, but three (3!)—at least three—pirate themed candy barrel stores in the city. That’s when you know you’ve made it as a tourist attraction.

Oh, and it’s one of the several places I visited on my trip that’s apparently been used as a shooting location for Game of Thrones. I know this because there were tourist kiosks outside the city offering (undoubtedly overpriced) “Games of Thrones Walking Tours."

Though the prices might suggest otherwise, the restaurants aren’t very good.

You have to do the wall walk--and since it’s not built up a mountain, it’s a much easier walk than the one in Kotor. All the different angles—plus you can scope out sites and restaurants you might want to visit.

The castle - perched on the edge of a sea cliff - is also worth a visit. It's pretty barren inside, but it provides some excellent panoramic views of the coastline and of the Old Town.

If I had to sum it up, Dubrovnik is the Disneyland of Adriatic coastal cities. It’s enchanting and a fun way to spend a day, but it’s also overpriced and flooded with people. And it leaves you feeling kind of empty at the end. (Ok, maybe that last part is just me.)