I have wanted to visit Croatia for so long, as it borders Austria, where I currently live, and really there is no excuse as to why I haven't made it down here sooner. So my four-country Balkan trip through Hungary, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina provided the perfect route to finish off with a week of proper Euro summer travels in sunny Croatia on the coast in Dubrovnik.
Entering Croatia by bus marked my 65th country and it felt so good to finally be exploring a tiny bit of this gorgeous European gem. I took the bus to Dubrovnik from Mostar, just across the border in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While trying to figure out which bus was headed to Dubrovnik from the Mostar bus station, I met Evie, a Welsh fellow backpacker. We immediately hit it off, and ended up spending the next two days together in Dubrovnik.
So, upon arrival in Dubrovnik, to get our legs moving again after a long bus ride from Mostar and to catch golden hour over the Old Town, Evie and I tackled the beautiful hike up Mount Srđ. It is usually accessed by cable car from the Old Town, but that can be quite expensive and honestly, the hike is an easy one with meandering switchbacks up the mountain. And free!
MOUNT SRđ HIKE DETAILS
When: year-round
Where: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Difficulty: easy
Length: the switchbacks up the mountain from the start of the trail are only 2.2km each way
Directions: from the Old Town, you can easily walk to the start of the hiking trail up Mount Srđ. From there, it's a really simple set of switchbacks all the way up the mountain, following the route of the well-known Dubrovnik Cable Car. Some people take the cable car up and hike back down, but I can really recommend hiking both ways. It's an easy trail, with a nice breeze, and seriously gorgeous views of the Old Town. Plus, it's completely free! I tracked my hike all the way from my hostel in the Old Town as well as our return hike and our walk through the Old Town to our picnic dinner at the West Harbour, so my Strava activity includes more than just the hike, but you can clearly see the portion of the switchbacks.
Bathrooms: yes, at the summit where the cable car arrives
Public Transit: no need, you can walk here from the Old Town. If you prefer, you can also take the cable car both ways, or take the cable car up and hike back down. But I recommend hiking both ways!
