Discover the highlights of Dubrovnik's cultural heritage

One of the highlights of the festival are the annual performances of several Shakespeare plays in the atmospheric surroundings of the hulking 14th-century Fort Lovrijenac beside the city walls. Watch film screenings in the tiny open-air cinema surrounded by 16th-century townhouses in the heart of the Old Town. Then there’s the open-air stage in the ruins of the monastery on the island of Lokrum, a 15-minute boat ride from the old port.

A festival this prestigious attracts international stars as well as performers from Croatia and its neighbouring countries. Andras Schiff and Gregory Porter were just two of the stars of the 2023 festival, and the actors who have played Hamlet in Fort Lovrijenac – an integral part of the festival – over the decades have included Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Day-Lewis and Derek Jacobi.

Learn about the Libertas flag and anthem

During the opening of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, the first thing you’ll see is a ceremonial raising of the red and white Libertas flag, while the choir sings the Libertas anthem, Hymn to Freedom. It’s one of the most stirring parts of the festival, and harks back to a profound part of Dubrovnik’s history and culture.

Dubrovnik became the Republic of Ragusa in the 14th century, and managed to keep its independence for centuries – until Napoleon, who dissolved the republic in 1808. Dubrovnik’s strong and powerful spirit was matched by clever diplomacy to keep its enemies and occupiers at arm’s length – helped in part, no doubt, by the massive fortifications ringing the city.

The sense of freedom and independence runs deeply in Dubrovnik’s veins, which you’ll see at the entrance to Fort Lovrijenac. Here you’ll spot an inscription of the city’s motto in Latin that reads: “Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro.” “Freedom is not to be sold for all the gold” is the English translation, and it’s this freedom – libertas – that’s a driving force. In fact, Ragusa was among the first European republics to banish slavery – as far back as 1416, more than 400 years before Britain followed suit.

The Libertas flag flutters all throughout the festival in various places around the city, including the Minčeta Fortress in the city walls. If you wander through the morning market in Gundulić Square, you’ll see a statue dedicated to Ivan Gundulić. This 17th-century Ragusan was one of Croatia’s greatest poets and dramatists – and also wrote the lyrics to the Hymn to Freedom that echo throughout the Old Town as everyone sings “Oh dearest, oh sweetest, oh beautiful liberty”.

Get inspired at its many art galleries

For a relatively small city, Dubrovnik squeezes in some excellent art galleries and exhibitions. Walk outside the Ploče Gate and you come to the handsome 1930s mansion that houses the Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik (Momad). Behind its cream-coloured neo-gothic façade are nine exhibition rooms showcasing Croatian and international modern and contemporary art, as well as temporary shows. Look out for the artworks by Cavtat painter Vlaho Bukovac and take in wonderful Adriatic views from the gallery’s broad terraces.

If you’re walking the city walls – which is a must-do on a visit to Dubrovnik – you’ll see the Dulčić Masle Pulitika Gallery. This offshoot of Momad highlights the vivid works of three 20th-century Dubrovnik artists, Ivo Dulčić, Antun Masle and Duro Pulitika. While you’re visiting Momad, pop into the nearby Lazareti, built in the 17th century to quarantine visitors to Dubrovnik. Nowadays, it’s a vibrant creative hub – home to art workshops, a changing roster of exhibitions and lectures, as well as crafts workshops and live music.

New Zealand photojournalist Wade Goddard has been drawing visitors to his War Photo Limited gallery in the Old Town for more than 20 years. His experience chronicling the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s led him to set up this compelling gallery of photojournalism, and it’s since become one of Dubrovnik’s must-see sights.

Discover another side of the Rector’s Palace by visiting its art collection. You’ll find more than 300 works of art from the 15th to the 19th centuries by Croatian artists as well as Italian Old Masters housed within this splendid building. Then wander the marble alleyways of the Old Town and stumble across several small galleries, including the Romana Art Gallery run by local artist Romana Milutin Fabris, and arty scenes of Dubrovnik at Art Gallery Talir.

Experience the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra

For about a century, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra has been delighting audiences not just in Croatia but around the world too, carrying on a musical tradition dating back to the Republic of Ragusa. It’s had various guises over the decades – Dubrovnik Philharmonic Orchestra, Dubrovnik Festival Orchestra, for example – but one thing hasn’t changed: its place in the musical heart of the city.

The orchestra has a varied programme throughout the year, with numerous musical festivals that are worth putting in your diary. Find a new soundtrack to spring during April and May when the DSO puts on the Dubrovnik Musical Spring and concerts are held in the Rector’s Palace Atrium as well as the Franciscan church. Come in July and August and you can feel the magic of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and watch the orchestra perform under sultry Dalmatian skies.

The music doesn’t stop there – the season carries on into late August until the middle of September with the Late Summer Music Festival Dubrovnik, when chamber concerts featuring the DSO String Quartet and the Brass and Percussion Septet perform as well as the full orchestra. If you’re visiting in mid-September, you can catch the Stradun Classic Chamber Music Festival, with concerts taking place throughout the week in the Rector’s Palace. This venerable building is the atmospheric setting once again for the Autumn Music Variety festival, which runs throughout October.

When the Dubrovnik Winter Festival arrives in December, you can watch the DSO star in the Dubrovnik Christmas Concert held in the auditorium of the Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik Hotel. There’s also another Christmas concert held in the beautiful interior of the Franciscan Monastery before one of the climaxes of the Winter Festival: a New Year’s Day concert that fills the Stradun, the Old Town’s main thoroughfare.

Celebrate at its local festivals

The people of Dubrovnik know how to make the most of the city’s rich cultural heritage, especially during its many festivals held throughout the year. The city’s patron saint is St Blaise, and his birthday in early February is celebrated in colourful style – as it has for more than 1,000 years. It’s even since been added to Unesco’s list of intangible cultural heritage. It kicks off on Candlemas, 2 February, with the symbolic release of white doves in front of the Church of St Blaise. The 3rd of February, which is the saint’s birthday, is marked by lively processions and much feasting – especially plates piled high with šporki makaruni, a deliciously rich beef pasta dish that warms up a crisp February day.

Another notable spectacle worth experiencing is the Lindjo Ensemble, which makes regular appearances during Dubrovnik’s events including the Winter Festival. This renowned folklore ensemble shows off Croatia’s folk dance traditions, and its musical performances of Croatian klapa (a cappella) singing are captivating to hear.

Dubrovnik gets into the carnival spirit every February with four days of festivities, and its Winter Festival, which runs from early December to 6 January, features an Advent market and parties as well as a massive New Year’s Eve bash. If you’re in Dubrovnik in late January, join the fun of the Night of the Museums, when museums and galleries open their doors for free from 6pm to 1am.

Dubrovnik’s season shows little sign of winding down in October, when the weather is still wonderfully pleasant and the Good Food Festival takes over the Stradun with food stalls, wine tasting and a giant communal lunch.

Feeling inspired?

Plan your cultural visit to Dubrovnik today and experience its rich heritage for yourself.