In July 2019 Dubrovnik acted as a base for my exploration of its WHS "hotspot". I spent only one full day in Dubrovnik proper but returned every evening for a few days for a meal and a stroll, so managed to acquire a certain level of familiarity with the town.

Objectively, Dubrovnik has to be considered an impressive walled town, well deserving its fame as “the Pearl of the Adriatic”. And yet, for me, it left less of an impression than Split. This could be due to the town plan: the core of the Dubrovnik is mainly about two parallel east-west streets with public spaces at both ends; small streets run perpendicular to those two and turn into stairways that run up to the elevated parts to the north and south; the northern elevation roughly retains grid structure, with auxiliary east-west streets as subsequently higher terraces; the south side attempts to depart from the grid but only a little. The ordered geometry inside the magnificent walls is mostly due to the fact that Dubrovnik had been largely destroyed by an earthquake in the 17th century and rebuilt alongside post-Renaissance sensibilities afterwards. But it does create a bit of a visual dissonance for me: the wide-angle views of Dubrovnik are ever stunning, while at close inspection the town feels somewhat contrived.

The walls are an unmissable attraction specifically because of many opportunities for wide angles above the roofline. The 2-kilometer long circuit takes over an hour to complete at the best of times - when crowded, it will be closer to two hours. There are several refreshments establishments along the way, but very little shade otherwise. On a hot summer day, be wary: getting up on the walls in midday is walking on the margins of a heatstroke. Crowds are also the thickest in midday, so better plan your walls walk for the morning or towards the end of the day.

Among the main points of interest are the Large and Small Onofrio Fountains at the opposite ends of the main street, Stradun; the Rector’s Palace, which houses a varied but far from extensive cultural historical exhibition; churches of Saint Ignatius, Saint Blaise, as well as the Cathedral - in order of descending impressiveness of the interior – that are well worth a visit; the cloister of the Franciscan Monastery together with one of the oldest in the world (since 1317) continuously operating pharmacies. Fans of the Game of Thrones will invariably linger at the staircase that leads up to the church of Saint Ignatius from the market square of Gunduliceva Poljana.

The city definitely calls for a full day of exploration, but probably no more than a day. You can also visit the island of Lokrum that is part of the WH inscription (I didn't) which is unlikely to fit into a sole day in Dubrovnik.