The Walls of Liberty: Tour of the city walls

(303 reviews)

Dubrovnik audio tour: The Walls of Liberty: Tour of the city walls

This is a 1.1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Dubrovnik

Croatia

$11.99

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About the Tour

Journey through the centuries of history on a tour of this breathtaking city where you’ll hear the tales of war, conflict and the political struggles that Dubrovnik has endured, including the last siege during the Homeland War from the early 1990s. Despite all the hardships from the past, the city still stands strong and proud and offers visitors breathtaking views and scenes that will leave a big impression all on their own.

This tour, created by a local professional guide, will give you all the historical and cultural explanation behind the fortifications of Dubrovnik, together with many anecdotal stories. Let Marija Milovac take you on an inspiring walk around the walls where you will have the freedom to move at your own pace. Feel free to stop wherever you feel like it, either for a drink or to take some photos.

Some of the highlights of the tour include:

The panoramic views of the old city and the clear blue Adriatic sea
The Fort of St Lawrence and the legend about its beginnings
The story of the catastrophic Big Earthquake 1667
St John Fort and the maritime endeavours of Dubrovnik
Minčeta Tower, the symbol of the city's independence
The siege of Dubrovnik 1991-1992

Hopefully, at the end of the tour, you will have a broader sense of the historical importance of Dubrovnik, you will learn that there's much more behind the beauty of the architecture and the city stone walls than meets the eye.

Please note: you'll need to purchase an entry ticket for the city walls to get the most out of this tour. The tour starts at the Pile Gate.

Tour Producer

Marija Milovac

1 tour

Hi, I’m Marija Milovac, and I'm a professional licensed tour guide for Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik-Neretva County since 2013, historian by education, and storyteller by calling.

For more than a decade, I’ve guided visitors through the layered history of my city, from its political brilliance as the former Republic to the everyday lives hidden behind its stone façades. In 2023, I completed my degree in the History of the Adriatic and the Mediterranean at the University of Dubrovnik, strengthening the academic foundation behind my work. I strive to combine careful historical research with narrative storytelling because I believe history is best experienced when it feels alive and meaningful rather than reduced to dates and facts.

I am also the author of the Haunted Dubrovnik storytelling project, through which I explore local folklore, myths, and lesser-known historical traditions. Alongside guiding, I have delivered lectures and performed at cultural events and festivals, sharing stories of the region’s history, witchcraft beliefs, and folklore heritage with modern audiences.

Here on VoiceMap, however, I invite you to experience Dubrovnik through a different lens: thoughtful, comprehensive, and carefully crafted audio tours. My tours are designed to give you depth, context, and atmosphere, not just information, but understanding.

When I’m not researching or guiding tours, I enjoy reading, collecting old objects, and spending time with my family, which includes two curious cats, two wonderful children, and a husband with whom I share a love for mystery and science fiction movies and series.

I hope you enjoy exploring Dubrovnik through my voice.

Preview Location

Location 1

Introduction

Dear visitor, a warm welcome to the old and harmonious city of Dubrovnik.

Before we start our journey, give yourself a few minutes to cherish the view. I will let you know when to start walking around the walls. My name is Marija. I was born and raised here, and I've been ... Dear visitor, a warm welcome to the old and harmonious city of Dubrovnik.

Before we start our journey, give yourself a few minutes to cherish the view. I will let you know when to start walking around the walls. My name is Marija. I was born and raised here, and I've been a Dubrovnik tour guide since 2013, so I've climbed these walls numerous times in the past.

Today, I'll guide you through the centuries of a sometimes violent and turbulent, other times peaceful and harmonious life of the city. The life protected by the magnificent defensive walls and forts. The city protected by its heavenly guardian - St Blaise.

We will walk these high walls together, and you'll hear the histories behind the impressive scenery along the way. I will tell you how Dubrovnik defended itself against attackers and how it managed to protect the fragile neutrality and freedom among the political monsters of Europe.

Now you should be facing the main street that parts the sea of orange terracotta roofs in two. Originally called Placa but later nicknamed Stradun, the main street has always been the living room for the people that had the fortune to call Dubrovnik their home. It connects two opposite gates, just underneath you is the western entrance, the Pile gate, and on the other side, the gate of Customs leads to the eastern entrance, the Ploče gate.

Try to imagine that the entire central area where the main street crosses, was once under the sea. A small inlet of the seawater once divided a little peninsula named Laus to your right from the hill of Srđ to your left. It once served as a natural harbour to the ancient sailors, old Illyrians, Greeks and Romans.

The place is protected from the north by the hill of Srđ against the intense cold Bura wind. Lokrum island serves as a natural breakwater from the stormy southern winds. The vicinity of the natural spring water made it a perfect place for a city to come to life.

The obligatory way of moving around the wall is counterclockwise, and the wall is almost two kilometres long. So it's time to start walking. Facing the main street, turn right and walk towards the seaside.

While you walk, let me briefly explain how VoiceMap works. It uses your phone's GPS location to play audio automatically at the right time and place. This means you can put your phone away now. Don't worry if I'm silent for a while when I'm not giving directions or telling stories. There's a map on your screen where you can follow your position on the walls. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

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Major Landmarks

Dubrovnik City Walls
Tvrđava Lovrjenac / Lovrjenac Fortress
St Johns Fort
Fort Revelin
Tvrđava Minčeta
Stradun
Lokrum

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Dubrovačke Gradske Zidine, Ul. Ispod Minčete 9, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Total distance

2km
Final location
Kunićeva ul. 5, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Distance back to start location

25.58m

Directions to Starting Point

Our tour starts on the walls, just above Pile Gate. This means that the first thing to do, if you haven't already, is to buy an entry ticket for the city walls.

When you enter the old city through Pile Gate, and when you find yourself on the main street Stradun, you should see the entrance to the walls in the corner to the left. Before you can climb up, you need to show the ticket to the person at the entrance. Across the street, in the opposite corner, next to the orange trees, you should find the office of the Society of Dubrovnik's Antiquity where they sell the tickets. After you buy the ticket, enter and climb the walls. When you are directly above the entrance, and you can see the main street in front of you, then you can start your audio tour.

Important: this tour only works starting from Pile Gate entryway!

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Along the walls, you'll have several opportunities to stop for a freshly squeezed juice, a coffee or an ice cream, just be advised, some prices can exceed your budget, so it's better to check the prices first.

A big recommendation is a visit to the Maritime Museum. It is located in the Fort of St John, which offers a peek into the maritime history of Dubrovnik with its vast collection of ship's artefacts, models of ships, old maps, coins, documents, paintings and portraits, underwater findings and more.

One more tip I wanted to include: your ticket for the walls is also valid for the Fort of St. Lawrence that is outside of the stone belt so you cannot access it from the walls, but you have the option to visit it at another time. Currently, you can visit both, the walls and the Fort within three consecutive days.

Best time of day

I recommend visiting the walls first thing in the morning, especially during the tourist season. In the summertime, there are more reasons to do it earlier than later - you avoid the crowd from the cruise ships, and you avoid the heat. In the summer, another option would be to enter the walls an hour before closing, before or at sunset time.

If you are here in the low season, then you can go whenever you want, but keep in mind the much shorter working hours of the walls.

Precautions

There isn't much shade on the walls, and the bright stone reflects the sun rays, so it is easy to get sunburns during hot summer days. Wearing protection in the summertime is of the greatest importance: hats, sunglasses, sun protection creams and a bottle of water are a must!

Attention: the walk around the walls may not be suitable for persons with walking disabilities, as there are numerous steps along the way.

Be prepared; wear comfortable shoes.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”