A quick telephone call around the main travel operators reveals that the already popular seaside resort of Dubrovnik on Croatia’s south coast is to be one of the most popular summer destinations in 2006.
And it’s easy to see why. As far as family holidays are concerned, Dubrovnik ticks all the boxes: only two hours’ flying time from London, gorgeous countryside, picture postcard bays, an endless array of outdoor pursuits and accommodation, restaurants and bars for all budgets…
Background: The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnik stretches along 53 kilometres of the Adriatic Sea and is surrounded by a number of islands known as the Elaphite archipelago. The town dates from the 7th century, has a population of around 55,000 and has been completely regenerated since the devastation caused during the region’s conflicts in the early 1990s.
Beach and scenery: Dubrovnik’s beauty is quite breathtaking. The aroma of flowers, herbs, lemon and orange groves roll off the colourful hills which frame the royal blue Adriatic waters lined with numerous bays, beaches, natural harbours and marinas.
Festival time: The town is at its most lively between July 10 and August 25 when the 50-year-old Libertas Summer Festival is in full swing. Music, drama and performance art takes over the city’s squares, fortresses, churches and palaces. It’s the largest event of its kind in Croatia.
Outdoor pursuits: Dubrovnik is famous for its diving, and there are six schools and equipment hire outlets in and around the city. Sailing, sea kayaking, rafting, horse riding and fishing are also popular. Numerous operators offer excursions to waterfalls, canoeing tours and even a safari cycle.
Cuisine: Food in Dubrovnik is distinctly Mediterranean in style: grilled fish, olive oil and vegetables are the staple diet. Dubrovnik is proud of its most famous dish, proscuitto (pork leg smoked and dried with sheep’s cheese, black and green olives, capers and pickled onions).
Nightlife: Dubrovnik has around 60 restaurants, many of which are child friendly. There are also bars aplenty. Most are fairly relaxed, but there are also a handful of late-night music bars for the more energetically inclined.
Accommodation: A good range of campsites, five star hotels and everything in between.
Logistics: British Airways operates daily flights to Dubrovnik Airport (situated 12 kilometres outside the city) from London Gatwick. Other frequently flying operators include Austrian Airlines and Croatian Airlines. Budget airlines do not currently fly to Croatia, but looming popularity makes it highly likely Dubrovnik will be added to Ryanair and Easyjet’s schedules in the not too distant future. One option is to take a budget flight to neighbouring Austria or Italy, and find connections onwards to Dubrovnik. The currency is called Kuna. Croatian is the official language but English is widely spoken. Learn more from Croatian Tourist Board.
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites. Images of Dubrovnik courtesy of Andrija Carlli, Milan Babic, Miro Andric and the Croatian Tourist Board.
