How many steps on the city wall? This is the most frequently asked question by people planning to visit Dubrovnik. Few people realize, until they visit and explore the old town, that the area within the wall is actually bowl-shaped. A far more interesting question should be: how many steps are there in the old part of town?
One of the more colorful steps
A few years ago a research team armed with cameras and recording devices spent time counting all the steps. They discovered there are a grand total of 4,343 steps within the perimeter of the wall. The city wall has a grand total of 1,080 steps which does include the three entrances.
View from Minceta tower to crowd above the main entrance
For travelers with mobility problems, strolling down the brightly shining limestone Stradun offers no problems. The majority of the steps are either on the northern and southern parts of town and I tend to avoid those areas with my creaking knee problem. There are other routes which are often hidden and guests seem to miss out on seeing many areas of the town which are interesting and unique without a guide.
A few of the city wall steps going downward
For example, the street we call Iza Grad begins at the Pile Brsalje and the walk will take you around the outside of the wall to the high point of Minceta Tower and eventually to the Ploce gate entrance. About half way is the well hidden and less known entrance to town which is Buza gate facing Mt.Srd. This is not to be confused with the Buza bars which are on the seaside of town outside the wall on the azure Adriatic Sea, a very popular location outside of the walls to savor a glass of wine while enjoying the blue sky turning to shades of red and golden at sunset. Visiting the Buza Bars requires climbing steps.
The route to find Buza bars
The best hidden gems of town are in the less traveled areas up or down many, many steps. Dubrovnik has steps, 5,423 to be exact and the glorious hidden gems are up there waiting to be discovered. Rest up, bring some water, a hat and sunglasses and get ready to roam.
This was a really good one! Also I think a very, very good piece for folks to read that are coming for a vist!
From your mouth to the ears of the guests who are planning to visit. However I highly doubt the majority have done no research and many do not even know where Dubrovnik is located.
Interesting stuff – cheers! No wonder my calf muscles ache still, I think I went up and down all 5,423 of them!
Nah, I am sure you missed a few. Even after 5 years I have not done that many, but then I know the easiest routes.
loved it when we got f the main few streets and explored the back alleys…seeing where people live was fun. The architecture offered so many great photo ops.
Around each corner is another photo opportunity and you had a great guide, me.
Hi, great photos. I will be in Dubrovnik next Sunday. Looking forward to visiting. Travelling from Australia. What is the weather like there today?
Weather today is still cold, very wet and some wind. May has been a miserable month and we are all waiting for sun and warm. I hope by next Sunday it will improve, but does not seem likely.
Slippery old steps in bad weather! 5,000+ Exhausted just thinking about it but I love that last shot. Looks very intriguing. 🙂
Love watching the young ladies wearing their 5″ heels as they stroll around the town with no problems at all. My shoes have radial tires on the bottoms so I do not take a fall on the ols slippery stone road.
Oh how beautiful … painfully so!
Thank you for posting it!
I love to watch the elderly ladies in the old town as they make their way home walking up hundreds of steps. It is amazing that they have been doing this daily for many, many years and they have a very distinct rhythm.
Amazing, and to think that we climbed all 1080 steps plus a few more in July this year! A wonderful experience.