By Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com
Our cruise ship was on its way for two stops in Croatia when we noticed a jarring headline online: “UK tourists told to ‘avoid’ Dubrovnik in Croatia travel warning.”
Calling up the story, it was a relief to learn that the warning wasn’t about any grave danger to personal safety.
The subhead of the report read: “Brits have been warned to avoid Dubrovnik in Croatia as the city is ‘not enjoyable’ due to the huge crowds.”
It’s a fact. Dubrovnik has been ranked as the most “over-touristed” in Europe, according to statista.com.
Tourist overcrowding is an issue in a number of popular European destinations, including Venice , Barcelona and the most popular Greek islands.
“Game of Thrones” fan have contributed to the surge of tourism in Dubrovnik, which was a major site for filming of the popular television show.
The best advice is to avoid visiting any of these places in the three peak summer months of June-August if possible.
We arrived at Dubrovnik on a sunny Sunday in mid-May and found it plenty crowded in the historic Old Town. The well-preserved walled city, which was built between between the 11th and 13th centuries and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a confined space that can’t comfortably accommodate the thousands of visitors that pour through the gates most days – the main thoroughfare, Stradun is only 300 meters long.
In Dubrovnik, humanity wins out over historic attractions
We ended up having a memorable day by skipping popular attractions with long lines and avoiding the heaviest trafficked areas. Ironically, it was people that made our day.
Notably a Croatian folk group did a performance of traditional dances, songs and chants in front of Church of Saint Blaise. It was a glimpse of old-world tradition that brought life to the medieval setting.
Fitting for a city that uses the marketing slogan, “Dubrovinik, Full of Life.”
We saw more evidence of that when we happened upon a young couple being filmed doing a wedding day dance in a remote courtyard.
We ventured away from Stradun to a side street and found a Sunday market set up with local artisans selling their wares. We bought a Dubrovnik heart pendant on a ribbon from a vendor who stood for hours on a small pedestal, and he thanked us by taking our photo.
Further, down a narrow alleyway we enjoyed lunch and people watching at Mea Culpa Pizzeria & Trattoria, a red-and-white checkered tablecloth place that boasts “the best pizza in town” and had quite a bit more than that to offer.
We chose not to take the walk on the narrow path atop the city walls, which takes 1 ½ to 2 hours. That is best done before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to avoid the heat and the crowd of walkers that bogs down at peak times.
Heartwarming visit to Dubrovnik’s Love Stories Museum
Had we done the city walls walk we would have missed what proved to be the highlight of our day.
After leaving Old Town we were on a path leading to Fort Lovrijenac, a filming site for “Game of Thrones” (Red Keep in King’s Landing), when we were sidetracked by a sign pointing down an alley to the Love Stories Museum.
It turned out to be one of those delightful serendipities that reinforce why we love to travel. This very quaint exhibit, described as a sanctuary for those who believe in the incredible power of love, paid tribute to some of the greatest and most famous love stories of all time.
Our favorite part was on the top floor, the so-called “Room Made of Love,” where we joined thousands of visitors before us in tacking our own love notes to the wall on heart-shaped post-its.
The occasion happened to be about two weeks before our anniversary. Fitting that 44 years after we left our hearts in San Francisco on our honeymoon, we did so again in Dubrovnik.
We never did make it to Fort Lovrijenac, but there was some GOT-related stuff in the museum, including a video showing how CGI was used to transform present-day Dubrovnik scenes into the fantasy realm of the TV show. So the Love Stories Museum had more to offer than love.
Here are some tips for coping with crowds in Dubrovnik from Fodors.
Cruise ship restrictions coming to Santorini, Mykonos
Soon after returning from our European cruise, Bloomberg reported that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said restrictions on cruise ship visitors in the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos as soon as 2025.
We can attest to the problem as our ship was among several at both of those ports when we visited. Santorini, in particular, was overrun with cruise passengers. The white alleyways in Oai were jammed and it was difficult to get a clear view of the iconic views that the Greek isles are known for.
Since vacation travel resumed after the COVID pandemic, cruising has become more popular than ever.
In Greece, cruise ship passenger arrivals reportedly increased 50 percent in 2023. Bloomberg cited data that 800 vessels called at Santorini in 2023 carrying 1.3 million visitors.
Greek officials are considering restricting the number of cruise passenger or establishing a bidding process for cruise lines to gain slots.
For those with an urge to visit the Greek Isles, there are plenty to choose from that offer stunning views and beaches without the mobs that descend on Santorini and Mykonos.
Condé Nast Traveller ranks 31 Greek islands, with Melos and Paros topping the list. The rankings include Santorino (No. 5) and Mykonos (No. 14), but be aware that cruise passengers come with the territory.
Nonetheless, there are ways around the congestion. During our small-group tour of Santorini, the guide showed us a more tranquil side of the island with a stop at the picturesque and historic village of Megalochori and later at one of the black-sand beaches that was nearly deserted.
At Mykonos, we stuck to the picturesque old port and enjoyed exploring shops and had a leisurely lunch at a waterfront restaurant with plenty of tables available.
Overall, we found ways to dodge the crowds in these European hot spots and look forward to experiencing more in the future.
The Viva, Norwegian Cruise Lines’ newest ship, at anchorage off Mykonos in the Greek Isles. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)More from Craigslegztravels
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Always enjoy Craig’s adventures. His experiences will guide our own.