Dubrovnik Key Attractions

Dubrovnik’s attractions are all about historic buildings and classical architectural features, and the city is distinctly devoid of themed manmade centres and facilities. Visitors with an interest in the city’s fascinating past and its cultural niceties will find ample opportunities to learn more about the city while seeing some of the its most famous sights.

Franciscan Monastery

Built in the 14th century, this Franciscan church and monastery is located in the Old City and is home to a proud collection of ancient manuscripts, which are available for visitors to view in a beautifully decorated reading room. A similarly grand library, which over the years has been used by a host of historians and famous writers, is also open for viewing. Within the monastery is a fascinating pharmacy museum that contains artefacts from the original medieval pharmacy that was in operation here as early as 1317. Classic architecture on the outside and a well preserved interior make the monastery a must-see for those interested in history.

The House of Marin Drzic

Marin Drzic is one of Croatia’s most celebrated writers, having produced many great works including Dundo Maroje and Novela od Stanca and Pomet before his death in 1567. As a tribute to his life, his original residence has now been converted into a museum in which visitors can view artefacts related to the writer’s life as well as a 40-minute video presenting his life and work.

Dubrovnik Aquarium and Maritime Museum

At the Dubrovnik Aquarium and Maritime Museum, located inside St John’s Fortress, visitors will find a collection of 27 tanks in which a vast number of sea creatures are housed. Indigenous fish make up a good proportion of the aquarium’s collection and include spotted dogfish, sting rays, scorpion fish and conger eels. Colourful sea horses, sea urchins, shells and coral are also available for viewing. All the tanks at the aquarium contain genuine sea water which is pumped into them in a constant stream throughout the day. At the maritime museum, visitors can view documents, charts, boat models and various other artefacts relating to the history of the sea industry in Ragusa.

Gunduliceva Poljana

For a true slice of traditional Dubrovnik life, head out early in the morning to the Gunduliceva Poljana market situated behind the Rector's Palace, where you’ll find the locals busy buying and selling all manner of products with an emphasis on food and drink. Native fruits, vegetables, homemade wines, cheeses and fruit brandies are among the many items on sale here. Visitors can enjoy bartering with local vendors before buying traditional Croatian food products that they can enjoy back at their accommodation.

Onofrio's fountains

Located inside the Pile Gate, the Onofrio’s fountains are two of the city’s most distinctive landmarks, which date back to the beginning of 1438, and are hence among the city’s oldest features. The fountains were the combined design work of architect Pietro di Martino and Italian hydro-engineer Onofrio della Cava, and were originally created for visitors to clean themselves of any possible plague bacteria prior to entering the city. The 1667 earthquake took its toll on the fountains stone ornamentation, leaving only 16 of the original heads. During the summer, the fountains are a popular place to soak hand towels and headscarves for the purpose of cooling off in the steamy Dubrovnik heat.

St Saviour's Church

Located opposite one of the Onofrio’s fountains, inside the Pile Gate, St Saviour’s Church dates back to the 16th century, when it was built by Petar Andrijic of Korcula. From the outside, visitors can view a splendid Renaissance-Gothic façade, while inside, a recently restored interior features fine marble surfacing and some interesting ceiling paintings. The church was unaffected by the 1667 earthquake and hence features all of its original architectural features.

Jewish Synagogue

Hidden up a steep staircase at the top of Zidovska Ulica, Dubrovnik’s only synagogue is hailed as the second-oldest in the whole of Europe and is situated on the second floor of a Jewish townhouse. There’s a small museum inside which gives visitors something of an insight into the history of the Jewish community in Dubrovnik. The synagogue is still a working religious facility, so visitors need to pay appropriate respect when visiting.

Museums

Dubrovnik has a good selection of museums which include the Maritime Museum, Jewish Museum and the House of Marin Drzic. Besides these, there’s the Rector’s Palace, featuring artefacts, paintings and furniture hailing from the old Dubrovnik Republic. There’s also the Treasury of the Cathedral, which features 138 reliquaries, some of the most famous including the three major reliquaries of St Blaise and a silver filigree leg reliquary from the 17th century that features the arms of the Republic in enamel.