The picturesque medieval streets of Dubrovnik come alive with Christmas spirit, adorned with twinkling lights and festive decor. The Old Town of Dubrovnik warmly welcomes locals and tourists alike to celebrate the Christmas season. Let's check out how to explore Dubrovnik Christmas Market.
How to Reach Dubrovnik’s Christmas Market
By Air:
Dubrovnik’s international airport operates flights to various destinations, with more frequent options available during the summer season. Located around 20 km from the city center, the airport offers convenient transport options including airport shuttles and Uber rides to reach the heart of Dubrovnik.
By Bus:
Several local bus operators provide services from different parts of Croatia and neighboring countries to Dubrovnik. Although we traveled from Zagreb to Dubrovnik by bus, it wasn’t a pleasant journey, and we wouldn’t recommend it as the most comfortable option.
Tips for visiting Dubrovnik Christmas Market:
The winter weather in Dubrovnik is milder than in northern Europe, but since the city is on the Adriatic Sea, it can get chilly at night, so be prepared.
Most of the stalls primarily accept cash, so it’s best to carry some local currency.
Public transport is quite efficient, with buses stopping right at Pile Gate.
Be sure to try some local Croatian specialties available at the stalls.
Various performances, including live music and Advent concerts, take place during the season - keep an eye on the schedule.
What to Eat at Dubrovnik’s Christmas Market
Fritule: These are small, fluffy Croatian doughnuts dusted with sugar.
Soparnik: This traditional Croatian pie is made with thin dough, chard, and garlic.
Brudet: A hearty fish stew prepared with tomatoes, garlic, and spices, often available at food stalls.
Rožata: A traditional Dubrovnik dessert that resembles a caramel custard, similar to flan.
Dubrovnik Christmas Market
1. Pile Gate
The entrance of the Old Town Pile gate is fully decorated with lights and a Christmas Decor. There were also a few small stalls near the bus stop (outside of the old town) selling Christmas Specialities.
Pile Gate is a great place to click a holiday picture with wonderful lights and decorations.
2. Stradun:
The main street called Stradun with its polished limestone is fully decorated with lights and chandeliers.
There are small festive stalls set up on both sides of the street selling holiday treats like Croatian Snacks, Waffles, Fries, gingerbread, and Drinks. There are also some traditional stalls selling handmade ornaments.
The historical buildings are decorated with festive lights. There are also live performances by local choirs, musicians, and folk dancers. As we were there on Christmas Eve, everybody was dancing, singing, and enjoying Christmas Eve.
3. Gundulić Square:
The Gundulić Square is famous for its daily farmer market but during the christmas season - it turns into holiday festivity with its festive lighting and decor.
You can get authentic Croatian products, including honey, olive oil, lavender products, and artisan gifts.
You can also find holiday specialties like fritule (small Croatian doughnuts) and pršut (Dalmatian prosciutto).
4. Other Locations:
You can also enjoy the christmas festivity at Luza Square and Sponza Palace where there are also a few stalls.
There are also advent concerts, theatrical performances, and art exhibitions hosted by Dubrovnik during the holiday season.
5. Other Christmas celebrations in Dubrovnik:
We are totally amazed to see that the streets of Dubrovnik, restaurants, cafes, and bars are decorated with festive lights. There are also Christmas Eve Parties almost at every bar. There were also live performers in front of every bar and people were enjoying the music.
It was one of the most intimate Christmas Eve, we had experienced in the old town of Dubrovnik.
On Christmas morning, the churches in the old town were fully packed with visitors. All the street cafes and restaurants were fully crowded with people.
6. Santa Claus Parade:
On December 26th, we were totally surprised by the march of Santa Claus on Sports bikes in Dubrovnik Old Town.
There were around 200-250 Santas on motorbikes with music and felt like they had invaded the king’s landing. Everybody was cheering and welcoming them.
Ending Note:
Based on our experience, Dubrovnik isn’t a big city but the local transportation is still. I would like to mention that the local transportation was available throughout the night on Christmas Eve. With the local bus, we commute from our rented accommodation to the old town which drops us at Pile Gate.