Stari Grad Dubrovnik and its encircling stone walls

Stari Grad Dubrovnik, the walled Old City of Dubrovnik in Croatia, compresses centuries of stone streets, churches and fortifications into a compact peninsula.

Stari Grad Dubrovnik is the compact Old City of Dubrovnik in Croatia, a walled historic core on a rocky tongue of land reaching into the Adriatic Sea. Enclosed by massive stone fortifications defined between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, it concentrates churches, palaces and alleys into a dense medieval layout that remains legible in every corner.

Stone walls that frame the entire Old City

The most striking feature of Stari Grad Dubrovnik is the ring of defensive walls that encircle every street and square of the historic core. The existing stone fortifications took shape mainly between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, replacing earlier, simpler defences with a continuous system of ramparts, towers and bastions that follow the outline of the peninsula.Walls of Dubrovnik

The walls in their present extent were already standing by the second half of the thirteenth century and were strengthened and modernised until 1660, when the southern segment received its final bastion.Dubrovnik walls were systematically updated until 1660 Built of local limestone, the circuit incorporates towers, detached fortresses and sea-facing bulwarks, giving visitors on the ramparts uninterrupted views along the stone crown and down into the maze of roofs and alleys below.

An Adriatic trading city and UNESCO World Heritage Site

Within the walls, Stari Grad Dubrovnik preserves a dense ensemble of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture from the time when the maritime Republic of Ragusa controlled these streets. The Old City of Dubrovnik, which includes Stari Grad and its harbour, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 for its outstanding historic urban fabric and setting on the Adriatic coast.Old City of Dubrovnik World Heritage inscription in 1979

The fortifications have withstood sieges, earthquakes and artillery across the centuries, and the historic houses, monasteries and public buildings were restored after twentieth-century damage under a programme coordinated by international conservation bodies.Old City of Dubrovnik restoration programme Walking the main street or the narrow lanes uphill from it, the layering of styles from medieval stonework to later facades remains visible in portals, bell towers and arcades.

Streets, gates and everyday life inside the walls

Stari Grad Dubrovnik is entirely pedestrian, with the marble-paved main street of Stradun running across the interior from the landward gate at Pile in the west to the gate at Plo?e in the east.The wall around Dubrovnik was built as a defensive measure Behind the elegant facades lining this axis, steep flights of stone steps rise towards the northern and southern walls, connecting small squares, churches and former patrician houses.

Landmarks such as the Rector’s Palace, the cathedral, the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries and the old harbour cluster within walking distance of each other, framed by limestone paving and tightly packed townhouses.Dubrovnik’s Old Town includes Stradun, Rector’s Palace and the Old Port From the sea-facing bastions the view opens across the harbour entrance towards Lokrum Island and back along the outer faces of the fortifications.

Visiting Stari Grad Dubrovnik: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Stari Grad Dubrovnik occupies the walled Old City on a rocky promontory east of Dubrovnik’s modern harbour district at Gruž on Croatia’s Adriatic coast.
• The Old City is reached through gates in the walls, with Pile Gate on the western side and Plo?e Gate on the eastern side linking the historic core to the rest of Dubrovnik by road and bus.
• The historic centre is pedestrian only, with the level Stradun as its main axis and numerous steep stone lanes and staircases leading towards the walls and higher terraces.
• The official language is Croatian and the currency is the euro.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Stari Grad Dubrovnik

Where is Stari Grad Dubrovnik?

Stari Grad Dubrovnik is the walled Old City district of Dubrovnik on Croatia’s southern Adriatic coast, occupying a rocky peninsula east of the modern harbour at Gruž.

What should visitors expect inside the Old City walls?

Visitors encounter traffic-free marble streets, steep stone steps, historic churches, monasteries, palaces and a working harbour, all enclosed by a continuous circuit of limestone fortifications.

What makes Stari Grad Dubrovnik distinctive?

Stari Grad Dubrovnik combines a complete system of medieval and early modern city walls with a compact UNESCO-listed urban core of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture beside the Adriatic.