Pile Gate — Attraction in Dubrovnik

I laughed when The Goog asked for a review of the Pile Gate. "Uh, it's a large stone gate into a walled city. Pretty crowded. Touristy. The music was good (thank you Kruno)." But it's the gateway to a spectacular city.

The walk of the walls is a life experience. A few tips can make it better: Go up early. The sun can be brutal in the midday, as can the crowds. Late is also okay, but be aware they will always get you down before sunset. Pro tip: check the cruise ship schedule to gauge the best day for your walk. Take an extra camera battery. You can't look any direction and not find something worth the cost of the shot. It's a lot of steps, and a lot of stone stairs. Worth every step, but as a guide friend says, "You don't need a leg day when you're in Dubrovnik."

Your travel itinerary may leave you little leeway, cruise ships particularly, but if you're going to be there a few days, and especially for a week, get the Dubrovnik Pass. For little more than the cost of the wall walk you get museum admissions, a bus pass, and other perks. We hit the tourist center outside the Pile Gate to grab one as our first stop every time. (You can also grab a Tourist SIM at the Tisak.) The bus pass is great, because you don't want a car. There is no parking. If you use a paid lot, expect to be shocked by the price. Uber/taxi/bus is always a better option.

As gates go, this one turns out to be magical. The view from the walls is unforgettable, as is the city...

This review covers Pile Gate and the immediate surrounding area in the Old Town. The Gate itself is extremely crowded, since all (tour) buses disembark their hordes (my party included) here, and where the walking tours begin. This is also where the Tourist Info office is. But...

Immediately beyond Pile is the Old Town, with the Franciscan Church and the drinking fountain, both beautiful and with their own histories. The Old Town, paved with old tiles typical of Dalmatia, including a couple goegeous, wide avenues intersected by narrow alleyways filled with restaurants, conveys such a sense of history. The architectural style has been preserved (UNESCO site; our apartment is part of the UNESCO area, and our landlord tells us they have strict building & style codes, especially for the exterior.)

I removed a star for the crowded conditions. This is the tourist center of Dubrovnik, even though the town itself extends pretty far out. We were here at the end of Sept, and Dubrovnik Old Town is way more crowded than Split. Can't imagine being here in July (locals say that's the hottest month) or August. Weather is mild and by turns quite humid. You sweat in the sun, though in shade and with a breeze, you can...

We were on holiday on the island of kolocep, 35mins from the mainland Dubrovnik. We had booked a trip to visit the old town and a trip on the cable car. The weather was lovely dry and warm.We traveled to the mainland by ferry through Tui,on arrival made our way via the very easy to use public bus service to pile gate ,to meet our guide "Barbara". She gave us all listening devices so we could all hear what she was saying. We walked a few hundred yards to the cable car,our first stop. The views of the city below and surrounding area's were amazing. At the summit,you had about 30/40 mins free time for souvenir shop and toilet stop, some picture taking. The return to the bottom. We then were taken to and round the old walled town , Barbara was constantly giving us information about where we were.She is very knowledgeable, it helps she's a proffessor. It was a great experience, it reminded us a lot of Malta. Jus be aware, it's quite expensive here, ie, Two 2 scoup ice creams, £14. A spot of lunch , chicken salad,1 diet coke,1 glass of red wine, £47. Having said that a really lovely place to see, but book a tour and take advantage...