Dubrovnik 1-day itinerary

Begin with the city walls — Dubrovnik's defining experience. The complete circuit is 2km around the top of the fortifications, with views plunging down into the terracotta rooftops of the Old Town on one side and the deep blue Adriatic on the other. The walls are up to 25m high and 6m thick, with towers, bastions, and fortresses along the route. The Minčeta Tower at the highest point offers a 360-degree panorama. Allow 90 minutes for the full circuit, stopping to photograph the Lovrijenac fortress, the harbour, and the island of Lokrum.

Descend into the Old Town and walk the Stradun — the polished limestone main street running from the Pile Gate to the Old Port. Visit the Rector's Palace (now a museum), the Franciscan Monastery with Europe's third-oldest pharmacy, and the Cathedral of the Assumption. Wander the side streets — narrow lanes climb steeply from the Stradun to the walls, with laundry lines, potted plants, and cats sunning on stone steps. The contrast between the grand Stradun and the intimate residential lanes is one of Dubrovnik's greatest charms.

Find Buža Bar — a hidden cliff bar accessed through a hole in the city walls on the south side of the Old Town. There is no sign; look for the small doorway marked "Cold Drinks" near the Jesuit Church. Step through and you are on a series of rock terraces perched above the open Adriatic with nothing between you and the horizon. Order a beer or cocktail, watch cliff-jumpers launch into the deep blue water below, and stay for the sunset. This is one of the most extraordinary bar locations in the world.