Destination Dubrovnik

Beyond the Croatian city’s ancient walls, Tracy Ramsden discovers a glittering coastline steeped in culture, sophistication and world-class cuisine

Navigating a labyrinth of narrow limestone pathways between elegant Baroque buildings, I round a corner and find myself suddenly face-to-plastic-bosom with a 5ft 6in Khaleesi, who wobbles rigidly before I steady her. The mannequin is not as majestic, nor as beautiful, as the real Game Of Thrones’ Queen of Dragons, but she’s disconcerting nonetheless. Thankfully, this less-than-discreet entrance to a novelty gift shop – packed with geeky, Westeros-themed memorabilia – is as naff as it gets, because Dubrovnik was firmly on the map long before it doubled up as the fictional capital city, King’s Landing, on the world’s biggest TV show.

It is mid-July – peak season – and I’m here with my husband and our two boys to find out why the jet set are swapping Italy’s AmalfiCoast for what Lord Byron famously called ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’. (Beyoncé and Jay-Z have also holidayed in Dubrovnik – unlikely wearing GOT tees.) And it isn’t difficult to see the appeal, as we wind the cliff-hugging roads from Dubrovnik airport, with terracotta rooftops and lush green hillsides to our left; clear blue, sparkling waters to our right.

The historic Dalmatian Coast stretches the length of Croatia’s western edge, from the island of Rab in the north to the Bay of Kotor in the south. Dubrovnik sits near the bottom, close to the border with Montenegro and, along with 79 islands and 500 islets, it has a front-row seat for epic views across the Adriatic Sea.