Attraction
City Walls of Dubrovnik
Almost two kilometres of medieval ramparts wrapped around Dubrovnik's Old Town, walkable in a full circuit with views over terracotta roofs and the open Adriatic.
Lokrum Island
A wooded nature reserve island a short boat ride from the Old Port, with a ruined Benedictine monastery, botanical gardens, a salt lake and resident peacocks.
At a glance
- Type
- Island nature reserve
- Area
- Lokrum, Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Official site
- lokrum.hr
Good to know
- Boat from Old Port
- Botanical garden
- Swimming
- Peacocks
Why we recommend it
Lokrum is the green island that fills the view from the city walls, about 600 metres off the Old Town. It covers only 0.8 square kilometres, but forest covers most of it, and the island is protected as a nature reserve and a special forest vegetation reserve. A day here is the easiest escape from the crowds of the Old Town, with shaded paths, rocky swimming spots and a good dose of history.
According to legend, Richard the Lionheart was shipwrecked on Lokrum in 1192 and vowed to build a church on the island. Benedictine monks founded a monastery here in 1023, and parts of it survive: one section now holds a museum and another a restaurant. In 1859 the Habsburg archduke Maximilian, later the short-lived Emperor of Mexico, bought the island and built a summer residence, laying out gardens and introducing peacocks, whose descendants still live on the island. The botanical garden, established in 1959, holds native and exotic plants. On the highest point, 96 metres up, stands Fort Royal, begun by the French in 1806 and completed by the Austrians in 1835. Television fans will find a replica of the Iron Throne displayed in the monastery.
Swimmers head to the rocks along the shore or to the Dead Sea, a small salt lake about ten metres deep on the southern side, fed through caves and fractures in the rock and popular with swimmers and divers. Bring water shoes for the rocky shore.
The official boat leaves from the Old City Port, where you buy a combined ticket for the crossing and the reserve entrance at the Luža ticket office. If you arrive by water taxi or private boat, you still pay the entrance fee on the island at the Forester's House. The reserve follows a code of conduct, and boat timetables change through the year, so check the current schedule on the official website before you go, especially outside the summer season.
Allow at least half a day, or a full day in summer with swimming. Wear comfortable shoes for the forest paths and take a hat and water. Combine the trip with a stroll around the old harbour on your return, or book the combined Trsteno and Lokrum boat trip offered by the reserve.
Lokrum Island FAQs
How do I get to Lokrum?
Take the official boat from the Old City Port; tickets covering the crossing and the reserve entrance are sold at the Luža ticket office.
Do I pay an entrance fee if I arrive by private boat?
Yes. The entrance fee still applies and is paid at the Forester's House on the island.
Does the boat run in winter?
Timetables change through the year, so check the current boat schedule on lokrum.hr before you go outside summer.
Can I swim on Lokrum?
Yes, from the rocks around the shore or in the Dead Sea, a sheltered salt lake on the south side.
Are there really peacocks on the island?
Yes. Their ancestors were introduced in the time of Archduke Maximilian in the 19th century.
Is the Iron Throne on Lokrum?
A replica of the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones is displayed in the Benedictine monastery.
How long should I spend there?
At least half a day; a full day in summer if you plan to swim.
How big is Lokrum?
About 0.8 square kilometres, and forest covers around 90 percent of it.