Dubrovnik’s medieval city walls rise up to 25 metres above the Adriatic and form a complete 2-kilometre circuit of the old city — one of the finest fortification walks in the world, combining architectural drama with stunning sea views. This post accompanies the YouTube walking tour “Dubrovnik Croatia — Walking on the City Walls in 4K,” which documents the wall circuit and the marble-paved Old Town below. It is the companion to your dubrovnik walking tour.

About This Walking Tour

This 4K wall-walk video takes you on the complete circuit of Dubrovnik’s medieval defences, providing views both outward over the Adriatic (and to the islands of Lokrum and the Elaphiti archipelago) and inward over the extraordinary orange-tiled roofscape of the Old Town. The walls reach their highest point at the north face, where the circular Minčeta Tower — designed by Michelozzo Michelozzi and completed by Juraj Dalmatinac in 1464 — provides a dramatic landmark.

The video also covers the Old Town interior, including the Stradun (officially the Placa), the main street of the old city, whose smooth limestone paving was polished to a mirror shine by centuries of Ragusan feet. The Rector’s Palace, the Dominican Monastery with its Titian paintings, the old port, and Fort Lovrijenac (used as the Red Keep in Game of Thrones) are among the additional sights covered.

Highlights of Dubrovnik

The City Walls, largely constructed between the 14th and 16th centuries, are up to 6 metres thick on the seaward side and contain three circular towers, fourteen rectangular towers, two corner fortifications, and five bastions. They were never breached militarily despite sieges by Venice, Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The Stradun (Placa) was once the water channel separating two medieval settlements on Ragusa and the island of Lausa; it was filled in and paved in 1468. By civic law, all buildings along the Stradun have identical shop fronts and the same colour shutters. The Rector’s Palace, built in Gothic-Renaissance hybrid style in the 15th century, was the seat of the Ragusan Republic’s government; the Rector was elected for one month at a time and was forbidden from leaving the palace during his term. Fort Lovrijenac, built on a cliff outside the city walls, carries the inscription Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro — “Freedom is not well sold for all the gold in the world” — above its entrance gate; it served as the Red Keep in Game of Thrones seasons 2–4. The Republic of Ragusa abolished the slave trade in 1416, becoming one of the first polities in the world to do so.

A Brief History of Dubrovnik

Ragusa (as Dubrovnik was known until 1918) was established in the 7th century by refugees from the destroyed Roman city of Epidaurum. It developed into an independent city-state and maintained its freedom through a combination of defensive fortification and sophisticated diplomacy — paying tribute to both the Ottoman Empire and various Christian powers simultaneously while maintaining a merchant fleet that rivalled Venice. The earthquake of 1667 destroyed most of the medieval buildings; what visitors see today is largely a 17th-century Baroque reconstruction on medieval foundations. The 1991–92 siege of Dubrovnik during the Croatian War of Independence caused significant damage to the old city, since repaired. The historic city centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Practical Tips

Dubrovnik is in the Central European Time zone (UTC+1, summer UTC+2). The currency is the euro; Croatian is the language. The city is reached by bus 1A from Dubrovnik Airport to the Pile Gate (the main entrance). The City Walls walk (approximately 2 kilometres) requires a separate ticket available at multiple points of entry; it is open daily. The walk is very exposed to sun and heat — May and early October are the most comfortable months. July and August are extremely crowded; temperatures on the walls regularly exceed 38°C. Most hotels and restaurants are outside the old city walls; accommodation within the walls is very limited and expensive.

Watch & Explore More

The 4K video above takes you on the complete wall circuit — watch it to understand the scale and views before booking your visit. More Adriatic walks at @walkingtoursvideoscom. Related guides: Split: Diocletian’s Palace and Venice: Grand Canal and Rialto.