Dubrovnik Holiday

Combining the medieval charm of winding cobbled streets with the natural beauty of craggy beaches, Dubrovnik is a place which will come back to haunt you during the long, grey days of a British winter.

Enjoying a stunning location on Croatia's coastline, the city is known as the 'Pearl of the Adriatic' and a quick exploration of the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains set against the sparkling waters of the Adriatic sea, will show you why.

Dubrovnik boasts five fortresses from its days a self-sufficient city-state, three of which are incorporated in the long-standing city walls. Although originally intended to keep out bloodthirsty pillagers, Minceta Tower, Fort Bokar and St. John's Fortress can now be scaled by tourists to give a fantastic panoramic over the city.

A slow meander through elegant squares will allow you to take in many of the sights including the Onofrio Fountain, dating from 1438 and the Orlando Column, a favourite meeting place for locals. The Rector's Palace, with its 15th-century Venetian façade is home to the city museum with a number of historic artifacts to browse.

The Old Town of Stari Grad has now been listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO and has been largely restored after having been heavily shelled during the Serb-Croat conflicts of the early 1990s.

Those who like their monasteries will be spoilt for choice with three within immediate reach. The Franciscan Monastery near the Pile Gate has been treating the sick for over seven hundred years with one of the oldest functioning pharmacies in Europe. It also offers an intriguing collection of relics, liturgical objects, paintings, gold work and pharmacy paraphernalia for general perusal.

The Dominican Monastery near the Ploce Gate is still home to an order of monks whilst the Jesuit Monastery has also been going since the 18th century. And for a spot of shopping, head for the Gunduliceva Poljana to haggle over goods in the busy morning market.

And if sealife is your thing, then you can get up close and personal with fishy friends at the Aquarium with an array of sting rays, conger eels, scorpion fish and spotted dogfish, sea breams, grouper, poisonous snake-like morays and seahorses.

Dubrovnik is a year-round destination with mild but damp winters and hot summer days but if you have even the slightest interest in music, theatre and dance then July and August is the time to visit when the city buzzes with the Libertas Summer Festival. Those with a penchant for film can pop over in May to catch the three-day International Film Festival.

And if the culture sets your pulse racing just a little too fast then you can head to one of the beaches and soak up some sun, complemented by a quick dip in the clear waters of the Adriatic sea. But to really get away form it all then head to the harbour area and jump on one of the many boats setting sail for the islands of Šipan, Lopud, Kolocep, Tajan, Olipa, Jakljan and Daksa located within the Elaphite archipelago.

Dubrovnik is a magical little place to just get away from it all – whether chilling on the beach or soaking up the atmosphere in the Old Town. But it's also fast becoming one of Europe's premier tourist hotspots so now is the time to enjoy its charms before the tour buses descend.