Viking Ocean’s Mediterranean Odyssey Day 10 of 13
Weather Report
Forecast for rain and a high of 61, so I dressed in layers. Actual – cloudy, then sun and upper 60s by 1pm, I had to remove a layer before we returned to the ship.
Today’s Plan
We planned to take the Viking included walking tour of Dubrovnik, then if the weather co-operates hopefully, we can walk “the walls” of this old, fortified city.
Viking Daily
Navigating into Dubrovnik
From Corfu in the Ionian Sea, we sailed north overnight into the Adriatic Sea past Albania and Montenegro to the east and Italy to the west. The arrival into one of Croatia’s most southern towns, Dubrovnik, was interesting as we sailed along the coast then did practically a U-turn around a peninsula to enter the natural harbor. With the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Bridge to port side of the ship as we approached the port, the captain turned towards the bridge, then rotated the Vela so that our starboard side was to the bridge and backed us into our berth – fun to watch from our aft cabin.
Dubrovnik Walking Tour
- Cost/person: $0
- Viking Difficulty Rating: Moderate
- Duration: 3 Hours
See Dubrovnik, one of the world’s most beautifully preserved medieval cities, on this rewarding walking excursion.
George Bernard Shaw famously called it “paradise on earth,” and you will see why during a visit to the Old Town district. Meet your guide and transfer by motor coach to the heart of the city; witness its beauty up close as you enter the cobblestoned Old Town on foot through the historic Pile Gate. Follow the Stradun—the marbled main pedestrian way that gleams from centuries of footsteps—to the Dominican Monastery, where you can view a fine collection of Renaissance paintings. You will also pass the Sponza Palace, the Church of St. Blaise and the 15th-century Onofrio’s Fountain. After your tour, enjoy free time to explore more on your own before returning to your awaiting ship.
It was about a 15-minute bus ride from the port to the Pile Gate bus stop at Old Town. To keep the walking tour groups to a reasonable size, we had two groups on our bus and there were multiple buses leaving every 15 minutes, I think, as it seemed the majority of passengers today were taking this included tour. The only other cruise ship in port today was the 1400-passenger Fred Olsen Balmoral, but with the Viking groups, and many, many bus tour groups, it was crowded in Old Town. I can’t imagine this place in the high season!
The Old Town of Dubrovnik is best known for its medieval wall originally providing protection but now providing fabulous views! It is approximately 2km (1.2 miles) long with over 1000 steps to navigate as you traverse the circumference. Already an interesting place to visit, the past few years have increased its popularity due to Game of Thrones (GoT) having been filmed here and according to our guide literal hordes of fans have descended upon them. Everywhere you looked there were GoT souvenirs and GoT-themed tours. To control the crowds somewhat, there is now a charge of 40 Euros (March-November) or 20 Euros (December-February) to “walk the walls”. We hope to return to Dubrovnik someday, so we decided to defer our plan to walk the walls until then.
After observing the Lovrjenac Fortress and Forts Bokar and Puncjela (part of Old Town walls) guarding Dubrovnik’s West Harbor, we entered through the Pile Gate and descended into Old Town taking in the statues of St. Blaise, the patron saint of Dubrovnik. Our guide used the city maps on the wall to provide an overview of the town’s history – not just the medieval history, but the recent impact of the bombing of Dubrovnik by the Serbs in 1991-92.
Lovrjenac Fortress – Dubrovnik 
Our Viking Guide – Lovrjenac Fortress background 
Fort Bokar – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Fort Puncjela – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Minceta Fortress from Pile Gate – highest point within Dubrovnik walls 
St. Blaise, patron saint of Dubrovnik, over the Pile Gate 
Descending from the Pile Gate into Old Town Dubrovnik 
City map with the sites of damage caused by the agression on Dubrovnik by the Yugoslav army, the Serbs and the Montenegrins in 1991-1992 
Old Town Dubrovnik Map – inside Pile Gate entrance 
St. Blaise, patron saint of Dubrovnik – holding a model of the city
We had a very good walk through Old Town with our guide, then she gave us free time. Similar to yesterday in Corfu, the location that the bus dropped us off was also the pickup point for our return to ship with our guide, but it was also the location of the port shuttle buses as well if anyone wanted to return to the ship sooner or later.
Pile Gate entrance to climb the walls of Dubrovnik 
Onofrio’s Large Fountain c. 1438 – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Onofrio’s Large Fountain c. 1438 – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Alley Cat off Stradun – main street of Old Town Dubrovnik 
Church of the Holy Annunciation – Serbian Orthodox – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Souvenir ducks – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Marin Držić – Croatian Renaissance playwright and writer – “Shakespeare of Dubrovnik” 
Alley with stairs leading up to top of wall – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Original rooftops vs. repaired rooftops near Market Square – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Market Square – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Rector’s Palace – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Dubrovnik Cathedral 
Bell Tower and cloister – Dominican Monastery – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Bell Tower – Franciscan Monastery – Old Town Dubrovnik 
Walls from Old Port of Dubrovnik 
Old Port of Dubrovnik
The day was warming up and we started removing layers as we sat people-watching at a cafe with our drinks and taking in the sounds of the cathedral bells.
Inside the Dominican Monastery, we saw several works from the 1500s.
Lunch and Afternoon Harbor Walk
We chose to go back to the ship for lunch and cool off.
At lunch Keith requested more milk, so the waitress brought him the carton! We all had a good laugh!
Since it was such a nice afternoon, Paula and I decided to take a walk around the harbor. There were lots of boats/ships offering tours from a few hours to several days to the nearby islands along the Croatian coast.
Evening Agenda
The Viking App (only accessible onboard) displays the menus for all the venues as well as events happening around the ship.
We were intrigued by the options for dinner at the Restaurant, especially the dessert “Ptichye Moloko” which we learned translates from Russian to “Bird’s Milk” (implying something of great rarity). It has chocolate, no other requirement needed for me! The preparation of the Lobster Thermidor was different than we’d had previously on Viking, but still yummy.
We closed the evening back in the Star Theater for another entertaining performance by Harry the Piano.
Notes By Nancy 
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