Dubrovnik, Croatia

You can't trust anyone in King's Landing. They're all liars.

Several years ago, (What? Already?) Todd planned the most glorious trip to Croatia for my ___th birthday.  We didn't get to go, in the end... but in my mind, I went there and it was glorious.  I couldn't wait to see Dubrovnik and all of the sites from Game of Thrones.  Aside from Todd wanting to visit Greece, Dubrovnik being a stop on our cruise was pretty much why we went.

We got off the boat and took the bus to the western wall of the city.  I thought I was back in Boston for a moment when I saw a bridge that looked like the Zakim!

Our first stop was right around the corner from where the bus dropped us off... Blackwater Bay!

Blackwater Bay is actually Dubrovnik's West Harbor.  It's situated between the famous Tvrdava Bokar (or Bokar Fortress) on the left, and Fort Lovrijenac on the right.  Fort Lovrijenac is known as The Red Keep in Game of Thrones.

There's a scene (below) in the beginning of Season 3 (episode 1, Valar Dohaeris) where Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger) offers Sansa a way out of Kings Landing (accompanied by one of my favorite characters, the prostitute turned lady-in-waiting, Shae.)  We got to see this!

Obviously some of Kings Landing is CGI'd.  But the pier and the rocks are real.

Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads...  (the rest of the fish is near the shadow of my head!)  Let's also discuss (no, please don't) how my shadow makes me look like I weigh 900 pounds!

I like the secret staircases to nowhere and doorways to who-knows-what at Fort Lovrijenac since it's very far below the actual Fort.  I wonder what is behind that green door!?  In Game of Thrones, this was where they killed one of Robert Baratheon's bastards after the order came down from King Joffrey (everyone's favorite bastard!)

They drowned this poor kid in the show!  Pushed him in the water, then one guard jumped in and held his head under!

The stairs up to Fort Lovrijenac (especially on a hot day) are no joke.  We got up the top and there's a sign at the pay booth:  "No Euros."  We hadn't hit up an ATM for any Croatian Dinar yet... only we had just climbed up all of those stairs...

Thankfully they took credit card! Phew!  Crisis averted!  And honestly... look at these views of Blackwater Bay (errrr, um... the West Harbor!)  Incredible!

Love this picture of my babies, hanging out in a famous fort in Dubrovnik, overlooking the Adriatic.

In Season 2, Episode 1, Littlefinger tries to blackmail Cersei by letting her know that her game is up... he knows the king isn't the rightful heir because he isn't King Robert Baratheon's son.  Littlefinger tells her, "Knowledge is power."  To which Cersei responds by having one of her guards put a knife to his neck and says, "No... POWER is power..."

Right?  Didn't we nail it?  Other than lighting/time of day... it's the same shot!

 

Several scenes were filmed here at the "Red Keep" including the intense scene during the riot where a group of men chases down Sansa and attempts to rape her, only for her to be saved by The Hound.

This scene was terrifying.  But notice the archway in the background-- same as the one in my photo above. "You're all right now little bird.  You're all right."

Sorry it's kind of blurry.  This was Joffrey's name day ceremony.

I also declared it was Todd's name day ceremony.  You can see which parts of the fort are CGI'd and which are not!

The walkable walls of Dubrovnik feature prominently in Game of Thrones.  But even if you aren't a GoT fan... they are fantastic and super picturesque.

There are so many Game of Thrones scenes in this little picture, I can't even count them.  Plus... isn't it gorgeous!?!  Definitely hit up Fort Lovrijenac for some incredible pictures.

Near the stairs, about halfway up to Fort Lovrijenac, if you turn around and look in the opposite direction of Blackwater Bay, you find this.  Todd said we needed to come back here and visit this quiet little area. I agreed!

I know you're surprised to hear that Natalie was melting by this point.  But we must forge on, Game of Thrones groupies!  (Side note:  The boat number is DB 3084... DB Weiss is one of the producers of Game of Thrones!  Ok... I'm officially a nerd....)

Next up... the start of the rebellion against Joffrey!  It all began here in Season 2, Episode 6 (The Old Gods and the New) at Dubrovnik's Pile Gate, when someone threw poop (a "cow pie") onto King Joffrey's face.  A riot ensues. "Find who did that and bring him to me!  Kill them... kill them all!" he said.

Good news.  There was no "Pile" of poop to be seen here!

Well... maybe some poop from this little pigeon.  Grant has been pooped on before by one of these guys (it was no cow pie... more like a pigeon pie).  Perhaps he is contemplating this?

Walking the walls is a MUST when in Dubrovnik.  Buy a ticket inside of the Pile Gate to the left of the Large Onofrio Fountain and head up the stairs.  It will be crowded in the summer (and have I mentioned hot?) but the views of the red roofed buildings of Dubrovnik are worth it.

Looking back at Fort from near the top of Fort Bokar.

Do you see that spot where the wall in the circular part of Fort Bokar gets a bit higher?

That's where Varys and Tyrion had a conversation about defending King's Landing.

Outside of the realm... there's evidence that walls have stood in Dubrovnik since the 9th century but the current walls from the 14th century stood strong during the Croatian War of Independence in the early 1990s.  However, many homes, such as these along the wall, did not.

Along the waterfront, the walls are about 5-10 feet thick (and they are much thicker on the side that faces inland.)  I think Todd mentioned this several times along our trek... "Look how thick these walls are!"

I liked this picture because it looks like the parasailer is landing on the top of the wall!

The island of Lokrum sits in the distance off of the shores of Dubrovnik.  This island was used for filming the Game of Thrones scenes in Qarth.

I feel like you've seen this picture a bunch of times, but isn't it just so beautiful!?!  I just love the red roof buildings.

Speaking of the red roofed buildings, there is a map near the Pile Gate that shows all of the buildings that were damaged or destroyed in the 1991-1992 Siege on Dubrovnik.  If you're in Dubrovnik, you'll notice that some of the roofs are a lovely bright red, while others are more faded.  If they're bright red, it means they've been replaced due to damage sustained in the Siege.

There's a secret (heh) bar behind the wall  that sits on the rocks that Dubrovnik is built from.  You can get a drink here, or (if you have your bathing suit), jump from the rocks into the Adriatic.

One company drags parasailers back and forth off the coast.  Can you imagine those views!?!

A Dubrovnik courtyard.

I included this picture because I liked it of Todd and Natalie going through a walkway within the Dubrovnik city walls... until I realized that's not Todd and Natalie.  In fact, Natalie is in the background with me... and Todd actually took the picture. 🙄

Now on the hunt for some lunch, we passed by the Dubrovnik Cathedral, built in the 18th century.  There had been a church here built by Richard the Lionhart dating back to the 14th century that was destroyed in a the huge earthquake of 1667. This one was rebuilt, completed in 1713.  Another earthquake in 1979 damaged the cathedral.  In their restoration works, they found that there had actually been a church on this site dating all the way back to the 7th century!

This bell tower is dedicated to Pope John Paul II, who's Vatican was the first on the international stage to recognize Croatia as an independent country after their War of Independence.

We stopped to get some beers and snacks.  Because... beers and snacks.

Here we are, on a lovely, warm, summer day - enjoying a beer and some snacks in Dubrovnik.  And we can't even imagine what happened here back in 1991 and 1992 when 417 people died (between both sides) in the Siege of Dubrovnik when the Serbs and Montenegrins invaded the city. 

(Photo by Peter Denton from Teddington, UK - Croatian War 1991: Dubrovnik)

Back on the streets of Dubrovnik with my babies representing with their Red Sox hats.

Our next stop was the Church of St. Ignatius and the Jesuit Steps, where Cersei made her famous Walk of Shame.  No, these aren't those steps!  But there are LOTS of steps in Dubrovnik.

The masses are yelling, "SHAME!" at me!  (See me at the top of the Jesuit Steps?)  It was so funny... these steps are so entrenched in Game of Thrones lore that you can hear so many other tourists around you muttering, "Shame!" 

Obviously the background above the columned railing behind Cersei was all CGI.

Notice all of the tents along the road as you look down (at my husband) from the top of the steps where Cersei Lannister started her walk of shame.

All of those tents had to be removed and all of the shops had to close for the time spent filming.  Game of Thrones paid the shops for their daily losses.

St. Ignatius Church sits at the top of the Jesuit Steps and was completed in 1725. 

He was telling us that these particular pigeons were the leaders of the pigeons.  We think they had gone out to spy on the seagulls.

The interior of St. Ignatius is very beautiful and very Baroque.

No shame for these kids!

We went on the hunt for the super secret squirrel room of Dubrovnik, also known as the Buza Bar (which you saw in one of the pictures above - it's a bar that sits on the rocks outside of the wall.)  On our way, we passed by this door.  He really doesn't fit anywhere in Europe!

We were able to get a table under the bamboo roof just outside of the wall for a cold beverage.  We didn't go down to the rocks below (although you can!)  Several times, we heard a big splash, and everyone would lean over the railing and see that someone had jumped into the water below.  Which of course begs the question... how did they get back up on the rocks!?  It turns out there are (manmade) steps to help you out of the water and back up the rocks.

Time to head back to the ship.  I think Natalie doesn't want to go back!

Cats of Dubrovnik.  He looks like he had a little too much catnip at the bar last night.

Walking along the Stradun as we headed back to the Pile Gate to catch our bus back, and I spotted this.  So fun!

OBVIOUSLY, a handful of hours isn't enough time to spend in Dubrovnik.  Four days is probably not enough!  So we didn't get to see nearly all that we wanted to see.  In particular, we didn't get to the Minceta Tower which was featured in Game of Thrones as the House of the Undying.  We also did not get to the Rector's Palace, which is where the indoor scenes in Qarth were filmed (like where Danaerys gets shot down by the Qarth rulers when she asks for ships to sail back across the Narrow Sea.)   "So my Little Princess, what is it you want?"  "My birthright.  The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros."

 Also featured in Game of Thrones was Gradac Park, which was used to film parts of the Purple Wedding!  Unfortunately, we didn't get there either.

Back to the ship on the bus we go.  I don't think you need any help, Dubrovnik.  You're doing just fine on your own!

Until next time, Dubrovnik!