Dubrovnik City Walls and Mount Srđ Cable Car

If day one in Dubrovnik was about getting your bearings, day two was about seeing the city properly. It was a free day, so we went back into the Old Town again, this time for the big one: walking the city walls.

It was unexpectedly hot for October, and Dubrovnik was busy in that unmistakable way where you can feel the cruise crowds arrive. Up on the walls there’s nowhere to hide from the sun, but the views are worth it. Terracotta rooftops, bright stone streets far below, and the Adriatic stretching out beyond the city like it belongs in a film.

It was one of those walks where you keep stopping without meaning to. Not just for photos, but because there’s so much to take in at once. I remember having lemon sorbet twice, partly because it was genuinely the best one I had on the whole trip, and partly because it gave me a reason to sit down and cool off for five minutes.

After the walls, we took the cable car up to Mount Srđ, and Dubrovnik somehow got even better. From up there, the Old Town looks tiny and perfect, framed between the sea and the hills, with that red-roofed glow you can recognise instantly.

Back at street level, we wandered the quieter alleyways again, which I loved far more than the main streets. Dubrovnik’s famous for its landmarks, but the little lanes are where it feels calmer and more real.

We stopped for a late lunch tucked away in one of those narrow streets, sat at a tiny table with food and drinks squeezed in front of us. I still remember my pizza because it had figs on it, which sounded random but tasted like it belonged there. It’s one of those small travel meals that stays in your memory because everything around it felt exactly right.

Later in the day, we headed back towards Lapad, where we were staying. Our hotel wasn’t far from the rocky beach, and that whole stretch felt like a different side of Dubrovnik. More open, more relaxed, and far less intense than the Old Town.

We walked past outdoor food stalls, then followed the coastal path along the cliffs where restaurants sit facing the sea. We caught the sunset on the rocks, with the light softening over the water, and it was one of those quiet moments that doesn’t need much explaining.

To finish the day, we went for dinner and I had the classic black risotto with octopus. After a day of heat, views, and walking, it was the perfect ending: local, comforting, and exactly what I wanted.