The tiny city of Dubrovnik, perched on the southern end of Croatia's long and beautiful coast, has an exceptionally rich history packed into its compact area. Its lovely walled Old Town, once known as Ragusa, has seen the empires of the Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans come and go, imbibing plenty of Venetian grandeur along the way while maintaining its own identity as a successful maritime city-state. Now its charm (along with its fresh source of fame as a prominent Game of Thrones filming location) brings tourists from all over the world flocking to its streets, and there's a wealth of attractions to explore.
But first, where to stay? As you descend into the steep, zigzagging streets of the modern city, it's hard to believe that there could be any hotels of substance sandwiched in between the hills and the sea. The southern, less developed side of the city seems particularly quiet, but appearances are deceptive. Dubrovnik's largest hotel, the Hotel Excelsior, has an unassuming façade on the street in this part of the city, but at the back of the building it drops down spectacularly to the sea, with a lovely terrace a few storeys below, directly on the water. The hotel, long the accommodation of choice for celebrities and royalty visiting the area, is the jewel in the crown of the Adriatic Luxury Hotels group, which has eight very smart hotels and two villas in and around Dubrovnik. The group offers something for every traveller – also in Dubrovnik but on the northern side is the Hotel Bellevue, with equally lovely sea views, while venturing into the countryside will bring you to their other charming properties in the surrounding region.
The Hotel Excelsior is without a doubt the ideal base for exploring Dubrovnik. It is a ten-minute stroll to the Old Town, along a street with increasingly lovely views of the sparkling blue waters of the Adriatic. The walk gives you a sense of the geography of city – the walled Old Town occupies a small promontory with a sheltered harbour nestled into its curves, from where tourist boats constantly depart for sightseeing trips around the islands. A guided tour is perhaps the best way to get a sense of the history of the Old Town, whether your interests lie more in medieval history or Game of Thrones filming locations, and then there is plenty to explore, from walking along the 2km circuit of the city walls to taking in the shady cloisters of the ancient monasteries.
The narrow streets are home to some fascinating shops showcasing traditional crafts and produce from the region. One of the highlights of our tour (arranged by the Hotel Excelsior) was a talk from the jewellers at Clara Stones, a specialist in coral jewellery made using rare Mediterranean red coral (a unique and strictly controlled coral which only a few licensed divers can harvest, as it grows at great depths). Also well worth a visit is Dubrovnik's peaceful Museum of Modern Art, almost literally over the road from the hotel. Housed in a beautiful villa built in the 1930s for a wealthy local family, it features regular exhibitions as well as a walk through the history of Croatian art in the 20th century, and also has a serious of heavenly terraces with views out over the sea and the city.
After a busy day of exploring, the hotel offers myriad ways to relax: a swim in the inviting sea off the terrace, a visit to the luxurious spa or indoor pool, and cocktails with a view of the city. For casual lunches and suppers, the outdoor Prora restaurant down on the sea terrace is an enchanting spot, but the more elevated cuisine of the Sensus fine dining restaurant is a must while you're there. And of course, don't forget to pair your dishes with the brilliant Croatian wines on offer, whether its a dry, crisp white (usually made from the local grape Malvazija Istriana) or a rich red Plavac Mali. Mostly small batch productions, these are hard to find outside Croatia.
While Dubrovnik, and especially the Old Town, could easily occupy a visitor for a few days, there is so much more to see along the glorious coastline that it's a shame not to stir out of the city. On our trip, we took a particularly lovely excursion to the seaside town of Cavtat, a half hour drive to the south of Dubrovnik. Impossibly pretty and much quieter than its neighbour, Cavtat is also home to the boutique Hotel Supetar, another member of Adriatic Luxury Hotels, as well as the colossal Hotel Croatia, which occupies its own peninsula on the other side of the bay. Art lovers will find much to enjoy at Hotel Supetar, which has a brilliant artist in residence programme to support local artists, so there are always new pictures to contemplate in the hotel's public spaces.
On our trip, perhaps the most fascinating cultural highlight of all was to be found in the quiet countryside of Konavle near the border with Montenegro, where we learned about ancient domestic techniques of silk production from the charming Antonia, who runs not-for-profit workshops educating people about this practically forgotten aspect of the country's past. Nurturing silkworms in her house in a quiet village, she recalls a more peaceful past where young girls would produce the silk for their own clothes before marriage. Arranged by Adriatic Luxury Hotels, this was an insight into local culture that you would not easily find elsewhere.
Rates at Hotel Excelsior start at from €450 per night (approx £374) for a Standard Room, including daily breakfast.
