Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast: Croatia's Game of Thrones Riviera
The Dalmatian coast stretches 1,800 kilometres along the Adriatic, studded with 1,200 islands and backed by the Dinaric Alps. Its cities are walled medieval masterpieces; its sea is so clear you can read a newspaper from 3m below the surface. Croatia's summer is genuinely extraordinary — but timing and crowds require careful management.
Dubrovnik
Walk the City Walls first thing in the morning (7am) — the most complete medieval city walls in Europe, with views that explain why every major broadcaster has filmed here. The old city (Stari Grad) is car-free and extraordinarily well-preserved.
Game of Thrones locations: Fort Lovrijenac (Red Keep), Pile Gate (King's Landing gate), Lokrum Island (Quarth). The tourism board has an excellent walking map.
Split
Croatia's second city is less polished than Dubrovnik but in many ways more interesting. The Diocletian's Palace — built as a Roman emperor's retirement home in 305 AD — is not a ruin but a living neighbourhood. People live, run restaurants and bars, and hang washing inside the palace walls. Extraordinary.
The Islands
Hvar
The glamour island: lavender fields, exclusive beach clubs, and a harbour full of superyachts in summer. Genuinely beautiful; also genuinely expensive in peak season.
Korčula
Marco Polo's alleged birthplace. Quieter than Hvar, walled like a miniature Dubrovnik, with excellent wine (Pošip and Grk grape varieties) and the kornat seafood tradition at its finest.
Vis
The furthest of the major Dalmatian islands — historically restricted for the Yugoslav military, which meant no tourism development. Vis remains authentic, sparse, and home to arguably the best restaurant on the entire coast: Villa Kaliopa in a Renaissance garden.
Where to Stay
Dubrovnik (Luxury): Villa Orašac — a beautifully restored 18th-century manor house with a private pool and sea views, 10km north of the old city and far from the crowds.
Villa Dubrovnik is carved into the cliff beneath the old city walls, with a sea platform, boat transfer and rooms that look straight across the water to Lokrum island.
Dubrovnik (Mid-range): Hotel Stari Grad is one of very few hotels inside the city walls — rooftop terrace, antique-furnished rooms and breakfast on the stones of the medieval town.
Hvar (Boutique): Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel overlooks the harbour with a rooftop pool and spa that are the best on the island.
Vis (Boutique): Hotel Dionis is a relaxed, family-run hotel on Vis with a terrace and direct sea access — the perfect base for this understated island.
