• Dubrovnik Summer Festival, [7]. Music and theatre festival held since 1950 from 10 July to 25 August.

• Walk down the Stradun and enjoy a drink at a cafe on the main through fair of the old town.

• 'Dubrovnik Film Festival, [8]. International film festival held since May 2003.

• Libertas Film Festival, [9]. Film festival held from August 25-30.

• Julian Rachlin and Friends Festival, [10]. Festival of chamber music

• Walk the city walls. The main entrance to the city walls is near Pile Gate.

• Visit the Fortress Lovrijenac. It was an essential fortification to the defense of the city from both ground and sea attacks. In order to prevent possibly mutiny by the commander of the fortress, the walls facing the city are only 60 cm thick compared to those exposed to enemy fire which were 12m thick!. Above the entrance to the fortress is an inscription that says "Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro" which translates to "Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world".

• Climb Mt. Srđ. This 412 m (1350 ft) peak has excellent views of the city of Dubrovnik, the harbor, and the Dubrovnik Highlands region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The top of the hill has a modern radio tower, some older fortifications damaged in the war, and a memorial to some of the war dead.

• Take a ferry to Lokrum, which houses a monastery, a fort with great views of Dubrovnik, botanical gardens, and a naturist beach.

Dubrovnik was heavily bombed by the Montenegrin Navy during the war (1992 to 1995). Almost all of the damage has been covered over but if you look closely around the old town you can still see the damage from mortars in the cobblestone streets and bullet marks in the stone houses.

• Roland's Column. A slender stone flag staff of the legendary knight. Also known as Orlando's Column.

• Bell Tower

• Sponza Palace. Gothic Renaissance palace, one of the few buildings that has maintained its form from before the catastrophic 1667 earthquake.

• Rector's Palace. Formerly the palace of the Major Council, now houses a museum dedicated to the city's history.

• War Photo Limited. An exhibition center of war and conflict photography. Exhibits change during the season. Stunning images by world renowned photo journalists.

Churches

• Franciscan Monastery. Baroque Church housing a beautiful Romanesque cloister and the third oldest pharmacy in the world

• Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Supposedly the original church had been build from money donated by Richard the Lionhearted who survived shipwreck on his way home from the Third Crusade, while the current Roman Baroque cathedral dates from the 18th Century.

• Church of Saint Blaise (Crkva Svetog Vlaha). Baroque Church dedicated to the city's patron saint.

• Church of St. Ignatius and the Jesuit College. Beautiful Baroque church located on a small hill within the old city.

• Dominican Monastery

By plane

Dubrovnik airport (IATA: DBV) (ICAO: LDDU), [1] is located about 20 km to the south of the city. There are flights from Zagreb for approximately 60 EUR round trip including taxes.

Croatia Airlines is the Croatian flag-carrier and Dubrovnik is one of it's hub airports. Numerous flights operate both domestically (numerous times daily to Zagreb, seasonal to Osijek, Zadar and Pula) and internationally to the UK, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

Aer Lingus flies from Dubrovnik to Dublin in the summer season.

Hapag Lloyd Express is flying from Stuttgart, Hanover and Munich to Dubrovnik.

As of April 19 2006 Estonian Air is flying every Wednesday and Saturday from Dubrovnik to Tallinn.

SN Brussels Airlines connects Dubrovnik with Brussels twice per week (on Monday and Friday) between April 28 2006 and September 29 2006.

British Airways[2] fly from Gatwick at competitive rate. Thompsonfly [3] from Luton and Flybe[4] from Birmingham are good charter options.

Easyjet have routes from Gatwick, Bristol and Geneva to Split, and Ryanair from Stansted to Zadar, from which an 8 hour bus ride will get you to Dubrovnik. Ryanair also go to Bari in Italy from where there is an overnight Jadrolinija ferry to Dubrovnik.

Flights are also often available to Paris-Charles De Gaulle, Frankfurt, Vienna, Amsterdam and other major European cities.

From the airport, taxis are available but not inexpensive (about 200kn). Bus service to the Old City is available through Atlas, and meet all scheduled flights, but the drop-off location is in the Old City or the bus station in Gruž, and most hotels are not within walking distance from either, especially with luggage. Taxis at the drop-off location, are usually available, though can be difficult at busy times, especially when the cruise boats are docked (almost every day in the summer).

By train

There is no train to Dubrovnik, although you can take a train to Split and then travel by bus to Dubrovnik. The bus station in Split is located right next to the train station on the wharf.

Alternatively, one can take the train from Sarajevo or Mostar which heads to Ploče on the Croatian coast, and travel the last section (under 2 hours) by bus. The scenery is spectaclar, and the trains aren't normally crowded. Ploče is the closest railhead to Dubrovnik.

By car

The trip from Split is a beautiful journey along the coastal roads through small, quaint villages and other tourist destinations. Just know that in the summer months the trip is likely to take several hours longer than anticipated. What looks like a short trip on a map can take six hours,

By bus

The new bus station is located a distance from the old city (near the northern approach and the Tudjman bridge), with domestic and international departures, as well as services heading to the airport (check times with Croatia Airlines). To get there, use the local bus service (operating around every 15 minutes) to take you into the Pile Gate (entrance to old town). The bus station has an enclosed waiting room, ticket office, and tourist information - though be advised of people trying to offer a private room in their home as accommodation as soon as you get off the bus - often these can be a good deal, though check the location with these people on a map before walking with them or you may be some distance from the bus station, or the old city.

It is a fairly long journey, but it is possible to take a bus directly from Zagreb. These take up to 12 hours, and some run overnight (saving you a night's accommodation). Alternatively if you are already on the Dalmatian coast buses run directly and many times daily from Split to Dubrovnik, a journey which takes 4 and a half hours and costs upwards of 90kn, depending on the operator.

Other international services operate to cities such as Trieste in Italy, and there are daily services to Mostar and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herceg Novi and Kotor in Montenegro. These international services are operated by modern, comfortable coaches.

A departure listing for the international bus station is available at the website of the city bus operator: http://www.libertasdubrovnik.hr/

On all intercity buses you pay a separate fee for luggage. This fee of about 0.5 to 1 euro per piece of luggage is paid to the driver upon boarding. Some drivers are rather picky about being paid in exact change in the correct currency (sometimes a local currency, at other instances requesting to be paid in euros) and sometimes also refuse to be paid in too small coins. So keep some change ready.

By boat

• Jadrolinija run ferries down the coast from Rijeka. Calling at Split, Stari Grad, Korčula and Sobra on the way. Journey time is up to twenty hours, so consider getting a cabin. The restaurant serves up some decent food at surprisingly reasonable prices, but bear in mind that the 22% tax is not included on the menu. There is nothing in the way of entertainment, so bring some entertaining company or a good book, although the journey is scenic and it is possible to entertain oneself simply marvelling at the natural beauty of the coast. Jadrolinija offers nightly crossings to and from Bari, Italy but either the dull engine vibration or the swaying of the boat from high winds are likely to keep you awake.

The old town is completely pedestrianised and easily small enough to get around on foot - some of the streets are a little steep though!

By bus

If you are not staying in the Old Town it's relatively simple to catch just about any bus as just about every one leads to the Old Town; however, it is still best to consult a timetable of bus arrivals/departures which will help you be sure that you are in fact catching the right bus. Timetable available here [5]. It costs 8kn (just over 1 euro) for tickets bought at any kiosk,or 10kn bought on the bus; ticket valid for 1hr. At selected kiosks (including the international bus station) you can purchase a day pass for 25hr. This pass is valid for 24 hours of unlimited travel on the city bus network, starting from the first validation.

There are many local artisans who specialize in domestic crafts. Popular purchases include: handmade tablecloths, linens, and napkins. Another local specialty is little dolls dressed in local garb, which make nice gifts.

There is a wide range of restaurants in the Old Town, mostly offering a very similar menu of local seafood and some meat dishes. The cuisine may not be very imaginitive, but it is usually of good quality and very fresh. There are a few pizzerias, mostly wood-fired and quite acceptable. The Kraš chocolate sold at stores is delicious.

Budget

• Pizzeria Tomato Directly on Pile Gate-Bus Station

• Fresh* within the old city (Vetraniceva 4 - 8th street from Pile Gate), [15]. Serves wraps and smoothies for under 5 euro.

• Nishta, Prijeko 30, tel: 098-1867440. Experience Dubrovnik's first (and only) vegetarian restaurant.

• Taj Mahal, within the old city. Offers a variety of Bosnian/Eastern cuisine such as Cevapcici u lepinji, baklava, and tufahi.

• Lokanda Peskarija, in the old city, in the old harbour, traditional Dalmatian appetizers and meals, you get your meal in a large black pot, in fisherman's style.

• Marco Polo, near St.Blaise church, Lučarica: good traditional food served in a small outdoor courtyard.

• Mea Culpa pizzeria - still one of the best in what is becoming a 'pizza street'.

• Poklisar in the old harbour. Limited but good menu, including pizza - and some very enjoyable live piano music.

• Spaghetteria Toni, in the old city. Small Italian style restaurant, with wide choices of pasta.

Mid-range

There is a variety of good, well priced restaurants around the city depending on your personal preferences. Examples include:

• Arka, in Old Town. Has some good vegetarian options (the baked moussaka is excellent).

• Domino Steak House. One of the best for a variety of ways of serving steak.

• Proto Siroko Ulica, Old Town, a bit up-market, but good sea-food.

• Belvedere, in Lapad.

• Konoba Konavoka, in Uvala Lapad.

Splurge

• Porat restaurant & terrace - Restaurant in Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik hotel with warm Mediterranean colors and spacious terrace, just outside the Pile gate. Offers international and croatian cuisine

• Nautika - Restaurant located just outside the Pile gate to the Old City, on the waterfront. Great views of the sea and Old City. In the evening the main courses start at 200 Kuna, and the starters are at a similar price. There are various 'tasting menus' starting at about 50 euros.

• Gils, Sv. Dominika bb, 20 000 Dubrovnik, tel: +358 20 32 2222 (fax: +358 20 32 2220 e-mail: info@gilsdubrovnik.com). Restaurant located near the Ploce gate. A new and rather over the top pretentious venue located in the Old town of Dubrovnik with nice views of the old harbour. The restaurant offers ultra modern French cuisine and a wine & digestive cellar, while the lounge bar promises fresh cocktails and funky DJ music.

The most popular hard alcohol in Croatia is home made rakija. This is a very strong distilled drink made from a variety of fruits. Examples include sljivovica (made from plums), "loza" (made from grapes), and "orahovica" (made with walnuts). All are quite strong and, like most hard liquors, have an unappealing taste to some people while others find them quite enjoyable.

There are many excellent local wines from both the Peljesac Peninsula and Konavle and it is often less expensive than soft drinks like Coca Cola. However, be careful when purchasing wine from unlicensed dealers (though the price is very attractive with some being as low as 10kn or 1.5 euro per liter) as it can sometimes be of low quality.

• Buža, Iza Mura. Found by following a sign that simply says ‘cold drinks’ you enter through a hole in the wall on the south side of the Old Town. The tables and chairs are set out on the side of the cliff and the beers are served in bottles and plastic cups. This is lovely in the evening, when the sun is setting and you gaze over at island of Lokrum. Eclectic chilled out music plays unobtrusively in the background. There isn’t much in the way of shelter (apart from some palm leaves) so this won’t open in bad weather.

There are numerous cafes throughout the Old Town and the entire city with prices varying according to the location (particularly, those located on the Stradun are by far the most expensive but you are paying for the ambiance as well). The cafes (or cafe bars) serve a wide variety of drinks all day and

• Fresh*, [16]. Fresh* is 'the favoured drinking and hookup spot for the backpacker set'- New York Times. Check out their 1kn Happy Hour. Indulge in 3 litre beer and cocktail towers. Free internet and wifi access.

• Club Latino is really the only dance club/lounge in Dubrovnik and it is located right outside of the Old Town, by the Pile gate.

• Lazareti - if you are into house, tech-house and techno music and clubbing, you'll enjoy Lazareti on the eastern entrance of the Old Town, by the Ploce gate. Also, during the summer, there are lot of electronic music happenings there and on the open air around the city.

• Nonenina, [17]. Nonenina is a bar is the ideal place to rest after a visit to the rich cultural and historical inheritage of Dubrovnik. As the daylight smoothnes, Nonenina becomes a spot for an evening visit. A lounge bar, chill out music, professional service, the view at Dubrovnik’s exceptional architecture, comfortable seats are only a part of the atmosphere that you will experience in Nonenina.