Over breakfast in Dubrovnik, our conversation veered into peculiar territory: I was debating which dog breed would boast the most powerful farts. I was certain that my mother was convinced that my brother’s Bullmastiff Pepper would be too strong. Either way, it foreshadowed the combination of humor and human foibles that makes that Croatian gem what it is.
Dubrovnik: A City Shaped by Tourism
Dubrovnik only has 40,000 people living there but it survives on tourism. But it’s a double edged sword because it keeps the city going but also threatens to bury it. Measures to prevent overcrowding have capped the number of cruise ships that can dock daily to three since 2019. Yet despite all that, Dubrovnik remains the third most visited city in Europe after Venice and Barcelona.
As ever more tourists come to the city, it changes in unforeseen ways. Indeed, locals sell their homes to foreigners for jaw dropping prices—up to €20,000 per square meter. It has 50 hotels, 20 of which are five star. But behind that glamour, however, is a city struggling with the ills of popularity.
History in Modern Fame
Until 1979, Dubrovnik’s Old Town was a postcard perfect labyrinth of history which eventually became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s the vine-covered garages, the centuries-old aqueducts that still offer drinkable water, and the antiquated laundry system dependent on pull ropes connecting windows — things that give the city its timeless charm.
As an old saying goes, the better you do laundry, the better you’re going to marry — if you do it badly, she’s going to be a bad housewife. For the cynical soul, it’s a hilarious reminder to Dubrovnik’s shadow tradition stuck in between the city’s newfound fame.
Global Spotlight and Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones shot the show in the backdrop of these medieval walls and cobblestone streets. More famously, Cesie Lannister’s ‘Walk of Shame’ happened in the Jesuit Staircase, close by Gundulić Square. Nowadays the scene draws tourists who come to replicate it, sometimes with questionable levels of commitment. ‘There’s more the locals haven’t seen reimagined on these stairs than what our guide wryly noted as she pointed them out,’ she sniffed.
Just like Westeros, Westhall isn’t the city’s only star turn. In the last century, over 700 films have been shot in Dubrovnik, the first of them being a Bollywood hit and a quick cameo in a Star Wars movie. Residents were paid €7,000 to inconvenience themselves on set for 40 days of filming that would only be seen for 45 seconds in the final shot.
A Victim of Its Own Success?
Undeniably, Dubrovnik is in one of its more sought-out destinations in all of the world, and that also means along with Dubrovnik has come the visitors too. It was the charm that had once been reserved for its residents, but now the millions of tourists flock to get the perfect Instagram shot. Workers and locals alike have become increasingly frayed by the volume of tourists.
Dubrovnik combines all that make for cinematic magic; history, culture and breathtakingly beautiful. Anyone is welcome here: There’s not much in between antiquated laundry systems and smartphone toting tourists.
Bittersweet Takeaway
Dubrovnik is a city eye candy and irritant at the same time. It’s a palce of beauty and history that gets stomped onto by the relentless march of modern tourism. On my way out I couldn’t help but think that there was a time when Dubrovnik’s breathtaking vistas had somehow been escaped the all too constant click of camera phones.
Nowadays, peoples seem to want to leave their mark on this great city, whether or not what they leave behind will reflect well; and as we’ve all so fondly learned to love about Pepper’s… they leave behind long after they’re gone.
Jackson Reed is an avid traveler and adventure seeker, sharing tips and stories from around the globe to inspire your next journey.
