36 Hours in Dubrovnik

1) 3 P.M. Great Wall

Stroll the 1.2-mile stretch atop the city’s walls, pausing at the various towers and bastions along the way, and at viewpoints along Stradun, the beloved main thoroughfare of Stari Grad, where locals enjoy lingering as if it were a collective living room. The entry fee for walking the walls is 150 kuna (or $22.75), 50 kuna for children; it includes admission to St. Lawrence Fort, or Fort Lovrijenac, which lies outside the walls to the west. The 11th-century fortress, built on a rock and sometimes referred to as “Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar,” occasionally hosts plays. It also makes for an outstanding perch in which to survey the Old Town.

2) 4 P.M. Getting High

The stony mountain towering over Dubrovnik? That’s Mount Srdj, home to some of the most spectacular views in southern Dalmatia. Hop on the cable car (130 kuna) and soar 1,361 feet to the top. After taking in the show-stealing scene, pull yourself away for a few minutes and visit the early 19th-century Fort Imperial, which houses exhibitions such as “Dubrovnik and the Homeland War 1991-1995,” displaying photos and other objects related to the city’s defense against Serbian and Montenegrin soldiers in the early 1990s.

3) 6:30 P.M. Sipping at Sunset

Leave Old Town at Ploce Gate, one of three main gates to the pedestrianized walled city, for a five-minute stroll to the new outside bar on the terrace of the recently renovated Excelsior Hotel. Grab a stool at the four-sided bar (an outdoor extension of the Abakus Piano Bar) and sip a gin and tonic or a glass of travarica, a local herb-infused grape brandy, while taking in the view of Old Town. Say “adio” — goodbye in local parlance — to the sun for the night as it dips below the horizon behind the city of stone.

4) 8 P.M. Croatian or ‘Croasian’?

Dubrovnik is now overflowing with great dining options. Posat, just outside the walls at Pile Gate, offers upscale versions of traditional seafood dishes such as cod fillet in a broad bean foam and strozzapreti-like Istrian pljukanci pasta intermingled with truffles, prawns and scallops. Expect to pay about 700 kuna for dinner for two, without wine. For something slightly different, grab a sidewalk table at Azur, on a back street in Old Town, where Darko and Vedran Perojevic, two brothers, cook “Croasian” cuisine, a marriage of pan-Asian fare with local ingredients, such as bowls of rich curry crammed with locally caught seafood. Dinner for two is about 450 kuna, without wine.

5) 10 P.M. Shaken and Stirred

On the opposite side of Old Town from Azur, on a narrow stairway of a street, the brand new Bar by Azur is one of the first serious cocktail bars to open within the walls. With about 70 seats, including 20 outside, the refreshingly nonsmoking bar mixes up classic cocktails and a few of its own creations. The signature Plum Azur (muddled plums shaken with Cognac, plum sake, lemon juice and bitters, 65 kuna) is a good drink to start with. And if you’re still hungry, the bar has a small, seasonally based menu of banh mi sandwiches, Dalmatian prosciutto and truffle oil-drizzled quesadillas stuffed with aged Grana Padano and smoked pancetta, among other snacks.

6) 9 A.M. Gourmet Grind

The Cogito Coffee, based in Zagreb, fired up its grinders this May in Dubrovnik, the first third-wave, or artisanal, coffee roaster in the city. The shop on an Old Town back street is mostly takeout, so grab a filtered coffee, a cappuccino or a cold brew, and walk the narrow lanes, spotting locations of your favorite “Game of Thrones” scenes or ambling down Stradun (also called Placa). Locals come here to do a dir, pronounced “djer,” a slow stroll from the city’s bell tower to the large domed 15th-century Onofrio’s Fountain, and then back again.

7) 11 A.M. Island Picnic

There are more than 1,000 islands off the coast of Croatia. From Dubrovnik, the most accessible is Lokrum, a 15-minute boat ride from the city’s Old Port (round-trip tickets, 120 kuna). The verdant little Lokrum has a botanical garden, the ruins of a medieval monastery and the remnants of an old fort. Instead of relying on the few food options on the island, take a picnic lunch. Piknik Dubrovnik offers insulated backpacks filled with locally produced prosciutto, cheese, bread, olives, fruit, homemade ginger-rosehip lemonade, as well as other products from around Croatia, such as unctuous kulen sausage from the region of Slavonia, and wine from Istria, among other edible and drinkable delights (550 kuna for two).

8) 7 P.M. Under the Bell

With its jaw-dropping coastline, the Dubrovnik area doesn’t seem like a meat-and-potatoes sort of place. Peka, a popular countryside feast, translates to “baking” but is often referred to as “under the bell” because of the oven-baked meat and potatoes cooked for hours in a pot under a bell-like lid that is covered in hot coals. The best place to sample this hearty fare is Konoba Dubrava, in the village of Bosanka, in the hills above Dubrovnik (expect to pay about 70 kuna for the taxi ride). The view is worth the price of the ride alone. Make a reservation, and tell them your choice of meat (veal, pork, lamb or octopus). Come hungry: Servings are large. In the evening a roving band of musicians serenades tables with Dalmatian folk tunes. Dinner for two is about 400 kuna, without wine.

9) 10 P.M. Local and Live

The Peljesac Peninsula, southern Dalmatia’s main wine region, lies about 40 miles to the north of Dubrovnik. If you can’t go on a peninsula winery crawl, pop into Matusko, an Old Town wine bar that pours not only local wine but also vino from its own winery of the same name on the peninsula. For something less wine-centric, Buzz Bar, about 200 feet up the cobbled lane from Matusko, is a popular drinking hole for locals with live acoustic music, a youthful vibe and affordable drinks.

10) Noon; Fork in the Road

Pantarul, the name for “fork” in the local dialect, serves traditional Dalmatian meat and seafood dishes with a modern twist. This popular neighborhood spot offers à la carte menu items or a five-course fish prix fixe (for 360 kuna). Nearly all of the ingredients are culled from local farmers and fishermen. And if you liked what you ate, add to your bill a copy of “What’s Cooking in Dubrovnik,” the owner and food blogger Ana-Marija Bujic’s English-language cookbook, for 250 kuna. It’s an easy walk from hotels in the Lapad area or take bus No. 4 or 6 from Old Town or a taxi for the 10-minute ride. Reservations for a weekend lunch, and any dinner, are recommended.

11) 2 P.M. Croatia-Made

If you’re hoping to take home more than a sunburn from Dubrovnik, avoid the souvenir shops on Stradun and see what’s happening at Life According to Kawa. Opened last year by Sanja and Jon Kawaguchi, who also run the Old Town inn, Fresh Sheets, this shop just outside of Ploce Gate sells a hodgepodge of high-quality, artisanal Croatian-made products such as craft beer, spirits, tote bags, shoes and Dubrovnik-theme novelty T-shirts.

Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik (Frana Supila 12; 385-20-300-300; alh.hr; doubles from $550). Reopened in May 2017 after an extensive renovation, the iconic 104-year-old Excelsior has 158 rooms and suites, all redesigned with king beds, soft color tones and light oak floors. A new restaurant, Sensus, serves elevated Croatian and Continental fare, with an emphasis on seafood. What hasn’t changed: the stunning views of Old Town.

Hotel Kompas (Kardinala Stepinca 21; 385-20-300-300; alh.hr; doubles from $300). The four-star Kompas is on a placid beachside cove and near a pleasant cafe-lined promenade in Lapad about two and a half miles from Old Town. All rooms have balconies and most have a view of the shimmering Adriatic Sea. The top-floor lobby lounge and cafe is good a place to watch the spectacular sunsets.

Fresh Sheets (Buniceva Poljana 6; 385-91-896-7509; freshsheetsbedandbreakfast.com; doubles from $210). Fresh Sheets offers boutique accommodation smack in the center of Old Town. Run by a friendly Canadian-Croatian couple, the six comfortable rooms have views of either the cathedral or Buniceva Square.