Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Croatia · Europe
About Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Dubrovnik-Neretva is the southern portion of Dalmatia and the southernmost county of Croatia. It consists of a narrow strip of land along the coast, the long Peljesac peninsula and several islands. Dubrovnik city and the peninsula are an exclave of Croatia - they're separated from the rest of the country by a narrow strip of Bosnia and Herzegovina, around the town of Neum. To the southeast they border Montenegro.
Dubrovnik-Neretva County travel guide
Getting there
1 Dubrovnik airport (DBV IATA) is 20 km south of the city. It has year-round flights from Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome, Zagreb and Zurich and seasonal flights from many more European cities. Pelješac Bridge opened on 26 July 2022 and has transformed routes in this region: finally you can drive between Dubrovnik and the rest of Croatia without briefly exiting the country. It also speeds access up the Pelješac peninsula to Orebić and Korčula. The bridge is not motorway, but has similar restrictions: no cyclists, no pedestrians, and absolutely no stopping to take photos! In its early months there are no bridge tolls, you just pay the existing motorway tolls. These access motorways are incomplete, and especially on the peninsula you trundle along old highways, not designed for the extra weight of traffic that they're suddenly handling. (It might even be quicker to go via Neum since the border queues have evaporated.) Completion is expected in Sept 2023 then whether the toll plazas happen to be at the bridge or the motorway on-ramps is a detail for later. Highway 8 runs along the coast from Split and Makarska to the north, crossing the region via Ploče and Neum to Dubrovnik, and continuing south into Montenegro. Regular buses ply this highway. Roads also go inland to Bosnia and Herzegovina but no public buses run that way. There are ferry ports at Ploče and Dubrovnik.
Getting around
There are buses every 2-3 hours along the coast to Dubrovnik, but they are infrequent to Ston and the Pelješac peninsula. Car hire is available, but involves crossing Neum to go north. The main ferry routes within the region are Ploče to Trpanj on the peninsula (which bypasses Neum), from Dubrovnik to the Elaphiti Islands, from Propratno near Ston to the island of Mljet, and from Orebić further up the peninsula to the island of Korčula.
See
Dubrovnik's walled old town is a must-see, though it's very touristy. Lokrum island is only 600 m from Dubrovnik. It has a monastery, botanic garden and "Dead Sea", a small saline lake. Korčula is one of the most attractive islands, though the most developed.
Do
Usual touristy beach activities, but water-sports include scuba-diving.
Eat
Anyone who likes grills, kebabs and other East Med cuisine will be replete, but vegetarians, vegans and GF have limited choice. The region lacks the cultural variety of west European cities, so even the place called "Taj Mahal" in Dubrovnik offers ćevapčići remarkably similar to its neighbours.
Drink & nightlife
Lots of decent Croatian draught beer and wine in the many town & beach bars. The local distilled spirit is rakija, the best known being šljivovica or plum brandy.
Go next
North to Makarska for beach activities and Biokovo National Park, and to Split built within a Roman imperial palace. Montenegro to the south is less touristy. Kotor is an attractive old town, and Budva is the main resort. Even further south is Albania, with routes into Macedonia and Kosovo.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.