In this video, I am going to show you the Dubrovnik Wall, the 3rd most visited place in Croatia after the Diocletian Palace in Split and the national park Plitvice Lakes. I hope my video convinces you to visit Dubrovnik and the Wall one day—they are truly unique.
The following document highlights the information I mentioned in the video and provides additional details that I believe are useful when visiting the Wall in Dubrovnik.
Facts about the Dubrovnik Wall
First, a few interesting facts about the Dubrovnik wall.
The Dubrovnik Wall was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage in 1979
The existing city walls were constructed mainly during the 13th–17th centuries, whereas the majority of the construction was done in the 15th century.
The wall has a length of almost 2km (6.400 ft), and a walk around the wall takes about 2 hours. During the summer season, when up to 8000 people visit the wall daily, the walk might take a bit longer.
The maximum height of the wall is 25 meters (82 ft) (Which means you will have to climb quite a few stairs during the wall roundtrip)
The northern part of the wall is between 4 (13 ft) and 6 (20 ft) thick.
Each year, 1.2 million people visit the Dubrovnik Wall.
Good to know when visiting the Wall
There are 3 locations where you can get on the wall: one is at Pile Gate (Where I entered in my video), and the second option is near the Maritime Museum in the southeastern corner of the old town., The third wall entrance is near the Ploce Gate.
As you saw in the video, the entrance at the Pile Gate has quite a few stairs. The other two entrances have fewer stairs, but you still have to deal with the elevation on the wall.
You are, of course, not obligated to do a full roundtrip on the wall; you can exit at any of the exits/entrances. NOTE: Once you exit, you can not re-enter unless, of course, you buy another ticket.
On the wall, there are a few coffee bars and a few places where you can buy ice cream and cold drinks. Personally, I think it’s pricey, so it’s better to bring some water in a backpack.
I would not recommend visiting the wall if you have issues with walking, and also, on hot summer days, you should be aware that the roundtrip is quite demanding.
What not to forget:
- Water
- Suncream
- Cap
- Cash (Some places on the wall only accept hard currency.)
- Patience (You will not be the only one on the wall)
Fortresses Protecting the Wall
The Dubrovnik Wall was protected by several fortresses—some integrated into the wall and others positioned strategically nearby.
- The Minčeta Tower, located in the north, is the highest point on the wall.
- The Revelin Fortress, to the east, is detached and connected to the wall via a stone bridge.
- Fort Bokar and St. Lawrence Fortress (Lovrijenac) are located at the western corner. Fort Bokar is an integrated part of the wall system, whereas St. Lawrence Fortress sits on top of a cliff 100 meters away. Together, these fortresses protect the entrance to the western harbor.
- The St. John Fortress is located at the southeastern corner. Along with the Revelin Fortress, it protects the eastern port.
Around the 16th century, 120 cannons were added to protect the wall system; some can be seen near the Maritime Museum.
Ticket Prices Dubrovnik Wall
The ticket price for visiting the wall is the following
Dubrovnik Wall + Fortress St Lawrence (Combi ticket)
Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
Adult = 15 Euros
Children under 18 = 5 Euros
March to October
Adult = 40 Euros
Children under 18 = 15 Euros
Note: You have 72 hours to visit both places, so you can do the Dubrovnik wall one day and see the St. Lawrence Fortress up to 72 hours later.
Fortress St. Lawrence Only
Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb = 5 Euros
March to October = 15 Euros
Tickets can be purchased at all 3 entrances, paying with cash or credit card.
You can purchase your ticket online before your visit. There is ONE official site for tickets to the wall. Here is a link to the site.
The official website is operated by Društvo prijatelja Dubrovačke starine (Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities). In addition to tickets for the wall, they sell tickets to other cultural sights in the Dubrovnik area, among them the wall in Ston.
In case you are not aware of Fortress St. Lawrence (Fort Lovrijenac), here is a photo of it taken from the wall.
Personal Note: All the years I visited the Dubrovnik Wall, I always skipped visiting St. Lawrence Fortress. Last year, I finally went there, and it was 100% worth it! An amazing fortress, so if you can find the energy (lots of stairs to get there), you should go.
Here is a small gallery of photos I took at St. Lawrence.
Dubrovnik Pass
As an alternative to buying a ticket for the wall, you could consider purchasing a Dubrovnik Pass. The Dubrovnik Pass is available as a 24-hour, 3-day, or 7-day pass. It includes a ticket for the wall as well as access to the following:
Rector’s Palace
Maritime Museum
Ethnographic Museum
Marin Držić House
Dubrovnik Natural History Museum
Friars Minor Franciscan Monastery Museum
Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik
Dulčić – Masle – Pulitika Gallery
The Pulitika Studio
Archaeological exhibitions
24-hour, 3-day, or 7-day bus ticket
The price for the Dubrovnik Pass is 40, 50, or 60 Euros (for the three types mentioned above).
If you are visiting Dubrovnik for just a day, the pass is a better option than buying the wall ticket alone, as it grants access to the additional sites listed above.
You can buy the Dubrovnik Pass online here
Guided tours where to book
If you prefer to have a professional guide with you during your walk on the wall, you will find plenty of offers on the platforms selling guided tours.
My personal opinion on this is the following
- I do not like booking from guide and tour platforms that take 25% commission or more from the hard-working people on the ground.
- Most (If not all) of the offers you find on these platforms do not include the wall entrance ticket. As I mentioned above, there is only one official page that sells entrance tickets for the Dubrovnik wall.
- If you do want a guide, I would recommend you to use this website. Here, you can get in direct contact with the actual guides, who will take you around.
If you just want to see the wall and enjoy the great views, you don’t need a guide, you can just watch my video 😉
Dubrovnik Old town vs Dubrovnik Walls
Several people have asked me how much it costs to visit the Old Town in Dubrovnik, so I thought I would say a few words about that.
Visiting the old town of Dubrovnik is free of charge, and if you don’t feel like spending the money it costs to walk the wall, you will still have an amazing experience visiting the old town in Dubrovnik.
To enter the old town of Dubrovnik, you have to walk through one of 3 entrances, “holes” in the Dubrovnik Wall. These are the old town entrances
- Pile Gate is the most popular entrance, this one is located west of the old town. Just outside the gate, you have the main hub for city buses.
- Ploce Gate is located east of the old town.
- Buža Gate (Meaning the hole) is located at the northern wall.
At the Pile and Ploce gate entrances, there is a wooden drawbridge over the dry moat surrounding the city. But don’t worry, it is usually always lowered 😉
Some interesting facts about the old town of Dubrovnik
- Less than 1.500 people are living within the city Walls
- Real estate prices in the old town are over 10.000 Euro per M2
- Before the great earthquake in 1667, there were 47 churches in the old town!
Game of Thrones and the Wall
Speaking about Dubrovnik and not mentioning Game of Thrones is hard nowadays. The wall of Dubrovnik was home to several scenes of the famous HBO series. I will not go into detail about this in this post; but I will save that for a later video about Game of Thrones in Croatia.