Dubrovnik Hobbit Hilton

A friend once told me that Dubrovnik might be the most beautiful city in the world – and she wasn’t even Croatian! Most people arrive and never want to leave, and we were no exception. First though, we had to get there…

Southern Croatia Coast with Oyster Beds

We left Zagreb and took the 4 or 5-hour drive down the 4-lane highway to Split then the much more challenging coast road, south to Dubrovnik. The scenery is spectacular; lush green islands dot a shimmering sea, fishing boats trailed by flocks of seabirds; cafés serving beer and hors d’oeuvres, on verandas that face the sea, tempt you as you drive. This is the edge of the breadbasket of Croatia; roadside stalls sell fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly squeezed olive oil, and home made liquor. We bought some – a bottle each of lemon and orange liqueur – our intent was to bring it home with us but I’m not sure it lasted more than two days. From what I remember it was delicious… …and strong.

Roadside Stalls - Fresh Produce

Not only is it a long and winding road but the country of Bosnia & Herzegovina has claimed a piece of the coastline between Split and Dubrovnik, effectively cutting off the bottom chunk of Croatia. Our friend Lili was driving as we reached the first border crossing, and the border guard smiled and waved us through. We didn’t realize there was a second window though, until we accelerated past it, and heard the guard shout: ‘Hey Stop!’ By then, it was too late and we drove on in fear of sirens at any moment…

Ours: White Roof & Orange Lounger

Eventually we arrived at the next border. This time we stopped and had our passports stamped – with another Croatian entry stamp. We never did get a Bosnian stamp. ...And then we arrived…

The main road leads you in high over Dubrovnik; the walled city sits beneath you like a model village. We drove down and around the walls to reach our lodgings, which Lili had booked on airbnb.com/croatia We quickly dubbed it the Hobbit Hilton; one of a series of two story stone cottages built into a rock face. The main floor housed a lounge and kitchen with a patio at one end and a balcony at the other. The roof was curved. Steps led down to two en-suite bedrooms.

Inside the Hobbit Hilton

These cottages are 200 or 300 years old and sit above an inlet that serves as a swimming hole for the local youngsters, who clamber down rock-cut steps and plunge into the sea.  Directly across from the balcony loomed a large castle; this turned out to be used in the filming of the Red Keep in the Game of Thrones.

View from Poklisar Restaurant

One of the gates to the city was a short walk so we strolled through the city to a restaurant that sat on the waterfront. Our friends visit Croatia often and this was our first meal with them in Croatia. The restaurant Poklisar was a favourite of theirs and we soon saw why; the food was delicious. The weather was warm and we weren’t that hungry so we ordered small plates to start; tuna pate, prosciutto, cheese, octopus Carpaccio, and followed with a light main course. And wine: the four of us drank two litres of a lovely light local wine, then dessert. I was dreading the bill but here was the final joy – with tip, it cost less than $40 (£25) each, all in.

After dinner, it was back to the Hobbit Hilton; we sat on the balcony with a glass of wine and that lemon liqueur and watched the sunlight slip up the castle walls as it set. We had achieved Nirvana.

The View from our Balcony