All of my regular readers probably already know how much The Lucky Bugs enjoy cruising, for so many reasons but one of those reasons is that you are exposed to places/ports that you didn’t know you wanted to see, like Croatia. I had nothing against Croatia, it just was not a place I had ever given much thought – you just don’t hear about it very much, although it has recently been gaining in popularity due to being one of the filming locations of the Game of Thrones. But like the name of this post, I was pleasantly surprised by Croatia – what a beautiful country!
Two of the most popular places (especially by cruise ship) to visit in Croatia are Dubrovnik and Split. We have had the pleasure of visiting both of these cities, however due to a lost camera card I unfortunately will only be able to post my pictures of Dubrovnik.
Hopefully these pictures will give you a glimpse of the beauty of this country, and maybe they will inspire you to explore it for yourself.
Dubrovnik
Having only one short day to explore the area, my top two things on my “to do” list were exploring Old Town and walking the wall. The port was approx. a 10 minute drive to Old Town. The ship offered shuttles and there were plenty of cabs available to get you there and back from the port.
Old Town is a beautiful town centred within the walls of Dubrovnik. Lots of shops and restaurants to explore, however for about $20 I purchased a walking tour with a local guide which was well worth it. He gave us a lot of historical information and was able to point out many points of interest.
After the walking tour I felt like I had my bearings and wandered through a few markets.
Another option if you’re not interested in walking and/or exploring would be to grab a spot overlooking the Adriatic Sea, (notice the people walking the wall in the top right corner.)
Next on the list – walking the wall. 
Walking the 2 km. wall takes about 1.5 hours, obviously this depends on many factors. It can be very crowded (and very hot), but there are several stops along the way selling cold drinks/snacks and gorgeous views.
To walk the wall, the cost is approx. $25, but in my opinion so worth it. The views are amazing from start to finish, whether you’re looking down at the Old Town or at the Adriatic Sea. The walk does include steps/stairs and goes one way around.
I am probably one of very few people who have never watched an episode of Game of Thrones, but the walls of Dubrovnik are actually the filming location of the popular television show’s city known as King’s Landing.
Split
Another beautiful stop on one of our Mediterranean cruises. There are many things to see, do and taste here however the major attraction here is the Diocletian’s Palace (also a UNESCO site). This landmark is not really a palace like you would picture in your mind, but more like a fortress – it is huge. We spent a lot of our time here walking around this area filled with many different shops. There was also a couple of great markets in the surrounding area. On our visit, this area seemed to have more of a “locals” feel to it, rather than a very large tourist presence like we experienced in Dubrovnik, but again this is also a Game of Thrones filming location so be prepared for large crowds.
It is very unfortunate that I do not have pictures of our visit to this lovely city, so it will just have to be one of those places that we get back to and spend some more time at in the future.
Trogir
Again, no pictures 🙁 , but this well preserved, medieval town (about 1/2 hour drive from Split) is a very worthwhile visit if you have the time.
