Trail Name: Mount Srd Trail

Distance: 2.3 km (not including the cable car back down)

Time: Under 1 hour (not including the cable car back down)

Elevation: 280 metres

We got an early start to the day as we planned to hike to the top of Mount Srd for sweeping views of the walled old town of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Yes, there is a cable car that we could have taken up and down the mountain but we had heard that the views from the hike were much better.

Our first challenge was finding the entrance to the hike. We checked our maps, found directions, got a little lost before being redirected by some friendly locals and eventually found the “Welcome to Dubrovnik” sign that marked the beginning of the trail. The trail was rocky and not well maintained but it was made up of switchbacks which made the gradual climb up the mountain a little easier. At every switchback we were rewarded with a marker for the Stations of the Cross and at every turn there was a better view of walled city of Dubrovnik and the surrounding islands in the Adriatic. We were even able to locate our apartment in the old town below.

Even though we got an early start to the hike, the summer heat was intense on this mostly unshaded hiking trail. Our efforts were rewarded with a cold drink and an amazing view from the observation deck at the top of the mountain.

Getting There:

Starting from Pile Gate which is one of the main entrances to the old town of Dubrovnik, we found the street, Ulica Uz Posat and climbed the steps as far as we could go. We went further up the steps of Bernarda Shawa to Gornji Kono, across a main road, past a few dead end streets to Ulica Nika Kulisica. It was necessary to cross the highway where you will see the “Welcome to Dubrovnik” sign next to the steps for the beginning of the trail. Search “Staza Prema Utvrdi Imperial” in Google Maps for the trail marker.

Facilities:

The Panorama Restaurant provides food and drinks at the top of Mount Srd with sweeping views of the Old Town. There is also a Homeland War Museum at the top of the mountain which displays documents and artifacts from the Croatian War of Independence.

We followed up our sweaty hike to the top of Mount Srd with a day at the beach. We treated ourselves to a couple of lounge chairs at a beach club on Banje beach.