Dubrovnik's best bit is the old town of Stari Grad, with its marble-paved squares, steep cobbled streets, tall houses, convents, churches, palaces, fountains and museums, all cut from the same light-coloured stone. Although heavily shelled in 1991 and '92, the city has been largely restored.

Dubrovnik's city walls were built between the 13th and 16th centuries, and are still intact today. Arguably the finest city walls in the world, they are 25m (82ft) high, with 16 towers. You can't beat the view, and a walk along the walls will probably be the highlight of your visit to Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik enjoys a pleasant Mediterranean climate that sees many sunny days, even during winter. Generally the winters are quite mild with average days fluctuating between 10°C (50°F) and 5°C (41°F), and minimal rainfall occuring on around half the days of the winter months. Summers are drier, with average temperatures hovering just below 30°C (86°F).