Dubrovnik December Pre-Christmas 2020

James, i would definately stay inside the walls. The only hotel within the walls is the Pucic Palace, but I have 3 other places I can recommend, PM me. A morning spent taking the ferry and hiking around Lokrum is always welcome. If you watched Game of Thrones you will recognize many spots. There are many nice museums such as the Maritime, Ethnographic, Icon Museum, Rector’s Palace, memorial room of the Defenders of Croatia, the old pharmacy at the Francisca Monastery, and oldest Sefardic synagogue in use in Europe. Red History Museum outside the wall in Gruz is New. Of course, there are others, these are just my favorites. Don’t forget the Churches. You can also take the cable car up to amount Srdj, which has a nice cafe, beautiful views, and a small war museum. You can hike down. Every morning there is a small market on the main Square. Walking around the wall itself takes a few hours. I would definately hire a private guide because there is literally so much history inside those old walls it is so engaging. The woman I would recommend passed away this past summer, but i believe her son gives tours. He was Born, grew up, and lives within the walls. Also, just sitting, relaxing, having a drink. There are many small clubs with music too.

3 days in Dubrovnik? Well, plenty of options. Day trip to Mostar. Across the bay to Cavtat. There are the little islands in the area.

I was there on a conference. Every one of these involves a trip to a "farm-restaurant" in the area. We went to one S of Dubrovnik, and then a little into the hills to where you were in Croatia, but the hills were Bosnian. Ask at the hotel. The cooking was "under the bell", which is a Croatian version of barbeque. I always drink to excess at those, so I don't remember the name.

Barbara

Last trip I stayed at a place called Villa Sigurata inside the walls. The best part of Dubrovnik was walking the streets in the evening and I wouldn't do less this time. But I will PM you, maybe you have something better. Still, you haven't lived until you walk up the narrow street to your hotel and see your skivvies on a line stretched high above the street. My kids use to buy me cartoon boxer shorts so the neighborhood probably got a laugh. Oh, not my idea. I used their laundry service.

A morning spent taking the ferry and hiking around Lokrum is always
welcome. If you watched Game of Thrones you will recognize many spots.
There are many nice museums such as the Maritime, Ethnographic, Icon
Museum, Rector’s Palace, memorial room of the Defenders of Croatia,
the old pharmacy at the Francisca Monastery, and oldest Sefardic
synagogue in use in Europe.

Now on my list. Thank you (and I did).

You can also take the cable car up to amount Srdj, which has a nice
cafe, beautiful views, and a small war museum. You can hike down.

Now on my list. Thank you (round trip .. i am getting old).

Every morning there is a small market on the main Square. Walking
around the wall itself takes a few hours. I would definately hire a
private guide because there is literally so much history inside those
old walls it is so engaging. The woman I would recommend passed away
this past summer, but i believe her son gives tours. He was Born, grew

I will get a guide for at least one day.

Barbara, thank you very much.

up, and lives within the walls. Also, just sitting, relaxing, having a
drink. There are many small clubs with music too.

Paul

Day trip to Mostar.

That would be yet another border and given the situation .... But I have a longer trip planned for May that does include Mostar.

Across the bay to Cavtat. There are the little islands in the area.

I'll look into it. Thank you.

I was there on a conference. Every one of these involves a trip to a
"farm-restaurant" in the area. We went to one S of Dubrovnik, and then
a little into the hills to where you were in Croatia, but the hills
were Bosnian. Ask at the hotel. The cooking was "under the bell",
which is a Croatian version of barbeque. I always drink to excess at
those, so I don't remember the name.

Paul, we share the same travel tradition. Good idea though. I will hunt around.

Thank you Paul

Just a friendly reminder that the capital of Montenegro is called Podgorica and hasn't been known as Titograd since 1992.

Thats why, despite being there 3 times in the last 5 years, I still keep getting lost. They should change the IATA Station Identifier for saps like me. I always get confused in Yugoslavia. I have the same problem in Leningrad. I dread what I am going to do when they change the name of Washington, D.C.

(I fixed it for you ... but I thought in these boring times people might enjoy the riddle)

Paul, rereading while I fixed the name of Podgorica (aka Ribnica), I remembered something you might like in Montenegro. There is this crazy switchback road that runs up through the mountains outside of Kotor. About halfway to Cetinje (aka, well I think just Cetinje ... thats boring), anyway, about halfway is an old world, sort of family run prosciutto curing establishment. You can tour the hanging barns, try the product, have a good lunch and drink lots of beer.

Hey, I liked Cetinje. I took a day-trip there from...wait for it...Podgorica. Cetinje has a different look about it. But for sure the road is great if you're sitting on a bus. I wouldn't want to drive it, because I don't think I'd be able to appreciate the scenery.

Im lazy, I hired someone else to drive it..... The scenery was amazing. And I bet it was your bus taking both lanes and the shoulders on the curves!

I always get confused in the former Yugoslavia. I have the same problem in
Saint Petersburg.

Fixed it for you.

I don't know what a sap is, but something I can't understand is the american obsession with airport codes. They do not always make sense and are not always related to the name of the city. Do you also have trouble remembering the names of Stockholm, Berlin, Paris and Rome?

Badger, a sap is someone who is not too intelligent and makes mistakes.

Could be any of us.......

How much time will you spend in Turkey/IST and what do you plan to see?

Istanbul 3 full days Dubrovnik 3 full days, Driving back and forth through Montenegro 4 full days.

Unless the border rules change 🙄

There is so much you can do in Dubrovnik, so much history, I mean the walls are gorgeous, you can go to Srđ and enjoy the view and so on. I would also recommend you to visit the nearby island Lokrum and the islands Šipan, Koločep and Lopud. You will love it.

When it comes to Podgorica, yes it is the capital, hate to say it, but I wasn't that impressed. But Ćevapi in a restaurant on the main sqaure are to die for! You should definitely visit Boka Kotorska, Kotor, Herceg Novi and Budva if you are in Montenegro.

You can still go to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar is really close and you will like it for sure.

Thank you. Much appreciated.

Pharmacy is a must see. The present-day Pharmacy there sells hand cream made from an old recipe.