Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Dubrovnik’ Category

Dubrovnik in February? But of course. In the beginning of February Dubrovnik denizens turn out in force to celebrate their beloved city. The occasion is the Festival of St Blaise (Sv Vlaho), the patron saint of Dubrovnik. Statues of St Blaise dot the walled city and of course there is the splendid Church of St Blaise at the beginning of Stradun. It was to St Blaise that fearful residents prayed during the bombing of Dubrovnik in 1991.

Before the official opening of the festival on February 2 there are several weeks of special concerts, plays and exhibitions centered on the theme of St Blaise. February 3 is the feast day of St Blaise and for the two following days religious and secular events mark the special connection of Dubrovnik with Saint Blaise.

Here is the schedule of events for this year’s festival:
Thursday, February 2, 2012

When former tourism minister, Pave Zupan Ruskovic, commented that Dubrovnik could do without “drunk and crazy” Kiwis and Aussies, she was pilloried and then sacked from her job as destination manager in Dubrovnik. Tourism authorities hastened to reassure visitors from Down Under that they were more than welcome. But was she right? Could it be that these young revelers are a menace to themselves and others?

According to an Australian newspaper, there were no less than five Aussie backpackers in a year who plunged from southern Croatian cliffs into the waters below, some narrowly escaping with their lives. From slipping down ravines to misjudging cliff dives, the toll in injuries has been fierce. Is it unreasonable to assume that alcohol has played a role in these accidents? I think not.

Despite the speed with which Ms. Ruskovic lost her job, it appears that Aussies themselves agree with her. Sydney-based The Age conducted an online poll and found that 91% of respondents agreed that “the truth hurts–Australians behave appallingly”. Ouch.

Any visitor to Dubrovnik needs to be aware that binge-drinking is not–yet– a part of Croatian youth culture. Most Croatians have a Mediterranean attitude towards drinking: they appreciate wine with meals and homemade schnapps but getting blackout drunk is usually not their scene. And another thing to remember: the waters under Dubrovnik cliffs cover sharp rocks!

 

Walking Dubrovnik’s walls is easily one of the world’s most memorable experiences. In addition to admiring the Adriatic sea and the ripple of stone that encircles Dubrovnik, you will soon be able to visit a new museumin a recently excavated tower.

While working on a nearby playground in 2003, workers discovered “something strange” in Gornji ugao (Upper Tower). Excavations revealed remains of a 16th-century cannon foundry buried beneath the rubble. In the 16th century, Dubrovnik was at the height of her power but there were enemies! As a wealthy Adriatic city-state, it was essential to protect the riches secreted behind the walls with cannon fire if necessary.

After 8 years of excavation and renovation, visitors can follow the process of forging the cannons deep within the walls of this tower, built to protect the city from the potentially explosive process.

Currently the tower museum is open from 10am to 1pm for Dubrovnik residents to visit. In four weeks it will be closed for further renovations and reopened 1 May 2012 for all visitors. See more Dubrovnik Sights.

According to an article in today’s Croatian Times, Dubrovnik tourism authorities are working hard to convince the world that Dubrovnik is not just a summer destination, but also a great place to visit all year. Unlike many destinations along the Croatian coast, Dubrovnik does have regular (although less frequent) flights in the winter. British Airways flies from Gatwick and there are flights from Rome, Frankfurt and Paris as well. Next year, Croatia Airlines will also have regular winter flights to Dubrovnik. Blessed with a mild climate, Dubrovnik can be chilly but not bitter cold in the winter. OK, winter is not the season to explore Dubrovnik beaches, but it’s perfect weather for appreciating the outdoors without worrying about sunstroke!

I’ll go even further and say that it’s even better to visit Dubrovnik in winter than in summer. Here’s why:

1. Fewer tourists. This is a big one. As great as Dubrovnik is, the Old Town is small. Very small. You have a main street (Stradun), a few parallel streets and a few dozen side streets. That’s it. Now imagine a morning when cruise ships disgorge 5000 passengers, augmented by a thousand or so regular tourists. The streets are elbow-to-elbow, walking Dubrovnik’s  walls is a jostling match and there are lines for everything. This is no way to visit a World Heritage Site.

2. Cheaper. Except for the Christmas-New Year’s period when Croatians head to their Adriatic pearl, Dubrovnik hotel rates are up to 50% cheaper  in winter. Private accommodation is also cheaper plus you won’t get hit with minimum-stay requirements.

3. More authentic. Without the crush of tourists, you can appreciate Dubrovnik as a living, breathing town, not a museum. Many locals find it profitable to rent out their apartments and move out of town for the summer. In winter, they return to re-kindle old friendships. The cafes, bars restaurants are suddenly filled with locals.

4. Local Festivals. Participating in Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Dubrovnik can be a wonderfully festive way to experience local culture but even better are the local festivals that liven up the winter months. Festa 2012 is a big theatrical event at the end of January; St Blaise day in February is when all Dubrovnik turns out to honor their patron saint; Dubrovnik Carnival is a blowout that culminates in a Masked Ball; and the Oyster Festival in March ushers in the milder weather and the beginning of the new tourist season.

5. Cultural Life. Dubrovnik prides itself on a lively artistic and musical tradition. There are enough classical music lovers to support an orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra which has a full season of concerts and recitals during the winter months. Art lovers will find plenty of openings and special exhibits to titillate their eyeballs while the mercury drops.

See more on visiting Dubrovnik.

 

With a web of international flights, Croatia should not lack for visitors next year. Here’s an early roundup of 2012 flights to Croatia:

Monarch Airlines will fly from Manchester, Birmingham and London Gatwick to Dubrovnik.

Croatia Airlines will start two weekly flights from Munich to Dubrovnik on April 16. Alas, this year’s service from Vienna and Istanbul to Dubrovnik will be retired. Zadar will get a direct weekly flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle starting on May 1. And this year’s popular Zagreb to Athens route will resume next summer, making it easy to extend your Mediterranean holiday to Greece. In more good news, fun-loving French  can spend New Year’s in Dubrovnik with a direct route from Paris Charles de Gaulle that will run twice weekly  all year.

Why do Russians visit Zagreb in winter? Who knows. Maybe Zagreb is warmer than Moscow. Maybe they’ll make a beeline to the balmier Dalmatian coast. This year Aeroflot will maintain daily flights between Zagreb and Moscow throughout the year.

Connections to Scandinavia and Central Europe are already scheduled for next year. Check out the following (with a thanks to Ex-Yu Aviation news):

Stockholm – Dubrovnik (March 25) SAS

Karlsruhe – Zadar (March 28) Ryanair

Copenhagen – Split (March 31) SAS

Helsinki – Dubrovnik (April 02) Finnair

Dubrovnik – Munich (April 16) Croatia Airlines

Zadar – Paris (May 01) Croatia Airlines

Bern – Split (May 05) SkyWork Airlines

Frankfurt – Rijeka (May 05) Condor

Frankfurt – Dubrovnik (May 13) Condor

Manchester – Pula (May 19) Jet2.com

Zurich – Dubrovnik (May 27) Edelweiss Air

Bergen – Split (June 25) SAS

Stavanger – Split (June 25) SAS

Copenhagen – Dubrovnik (July 04) SAS

Rotterdam – Split (July 07) Transavia.com

See more on cheap flights to Croatia!