Amazing Days Out: Dubrovnik Cable Car

Dubrovnik Cable Car: Unbeatable views of the Old Town

For an eagle’s eye view of the stunning historic city of Dubrovnik, take the Dubrovnik Cable Car up Mount Srd. This iconic Dubrovnik tourist attraction is one of the most popular, and expensive, things to do in Dubrovnik. However, quite apart from the short ride on the impeccably smooth cable car, you will be rewarded with some of the best possible views of the Old Town, and the Elaphiti Islands.

We made a rookie mistake on the way up. It was partly due to the confusion of the crowds. We were escorted into the cable car, only to find that we were pretty much the last ones in. It was packed inside. This meant that we were stuck right in the middle. Therefore, we didn’t have a great view from any of the four sides. Amy didn’t really mind, since she isn’t all that keen on cable cars in general!

The ride itself is pretty smooth, and the views are extraordinary. It is worth taking time out once at the top just to admire the amazing views that you can see from the top of the mountain belvedere. The whole walled city is visible, as is the island of Lokrum, and many other small islands. We had timed our visit to be there for sunset, as it is famed as a sunset spot in Dubrovnik. The problem was that lots of other people had done the same, so it was quite busy up here.

Make sure to learn about the darker times in Mount Srd’s history

Mount Srd, as well as being an amazing viewpoint, was also the scene of a fierce battle in the Homeland War in the 1990s, namely the Siege of Dubrovnik. Yugoslav forces took over the mountain and used it as a base to attack the old town below. Nowadays, there is a museum on the top of the mountain, called the Museum of the Croatian War of Independence. This museum is worth a visit.

If you do visit, start by climbing the stairs to the roof. Much of this building was heavily damaged during the war, and there are plenty of signs of this, including bullet holes in the walls, and lots of wartime graffiti. The roof itself, whilst not being particularly well renovated, has some of the most unbelievable views of Dubrovnik you could imagine. It was completely empty up here too. We actually scouted out the ultimate sunset spot on Mount Srd, and it was up here on the roof!

The best sunset spot in Dubrovnik?

The roof of the museum is a better choice for a place to watch the sunset, since the Dubrovnik Cable Car itself is in the way of some of the viewpoints lower down. It is a beautiful sunset, though not on a par with the ones in Ibiza. The sun set well away from the old town. It also disappeared behind a cloud right near the point of the sea, which was a shame, since it would have been nice to see the sun appear to disappear beneath the sea.

Make sure to allow time to check out the exhibition about the Homeland War. It is very in-depth. In fact, probably too in-depth. However, the pictures of Dubrovnik under fire are rather upsetting. It is hard to follow the detailed summary of the war operations though, since the paragraphs on the information boards are huge. There are a handful of artefacts, but it is mainly just information boards. The middle room has a TV showing news footage from the time.

Ask if you can be the first one into the cable car

On the way back down, we were determined to get a good view, after our disappointment on the way up. We asked the attendant on duty if we could wait for the next one to be at the front. They must be used to this request, since we were told straight away to wait in a separate area to the side. This is a great tip to remember if you look like being herded into a rather full cable car.

Even after dark, the town is still very beautiful, but it loses some of its magic from up here. You can buy a one-way ticket up in the cable car, and walk back down. However, this really is not advisable if you plan to watch the sunset from the top of Mount Srd. The walk down in the dark is rather treacherous. You can save some money by doing the one-way trip. However, if you decide to do this, make sure to go up much earlier in the day. Either way, don’t miss the Dubrovnik Cable Car and its views on your next trip to Dubrovnik!