Dubrovnik, Croatia

Described by that old romantic Byron as the Pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik in Croatia is a fantasy city of near-implausible beauty. Even the war that touched its shores 25 years ago couldn’t diminish the one-of-a-kind wonderment that greets its visitors as they stroll along its marble streets for the first time. It’s no surprise that it has stood in for a fictional medieval city in the Game of Thrones TV series. Is Dubrovnik the most beautiful city in the world? Many visitors would claim so. And they may just be right.

Not that Dubrovnik is a secret. A treasured UNESCO site and a major trading post during the Age of Enlightenment, for centuries visitors from all corners of the globe, have passed beneath its medieval walls. The city itself sits on a headland overlooking the Adriatic, its immense City Walls rising above the cobalt waters of the harbor. Walking atop the ancient City Walls, the world’s finest, is the most memorable experience, with breathlessly stunning panoramas of the terracotta roofs of Old Town, medieval forts, and churches.

And no matter how many times our Travel Designers visit Dubrovnik, there is a handful of star historic attractions that we can’t resist seeing again. At the top of the list is the Franciscan Monastery with its vast library of ancient knowledge, and the stunning Baroque Cathedral of Assumption. The latter was built on the site of an older church, according to local legend funded by the shipwrecked Richard the Lionheart. Taking the cable cart up to Mt. Srđ is essential for spectacular Instagram-able vistas of the city.

All tours of Dubrovnik are tailor-made, but we suggest combining a trip with visiting Split to the north or yachting tours on the Adriatic to Hvar or the Elafit Islands. Call our Europe Travel Designers to start planning a luxury tour. In the meantime, we’ll leave you with a quote from another famous wordsmith, George Bernard Shaw: If you want to see Heaven on Earth, come to Dubrovnik.