Gruž
Guide to Gruž
Gruž is Dubrovnik's working port district, with the cruise quay, Elaphiti ferries, the main market and cheaper places to stay and eat.
Gruž wraps around the deep natural harbour north-west of the Old Town, sheltered by the Lapad peninsula and crossed at its mouth by the Franjo Tuđman bridge. Th…Gruž wraps around the deep natural harbour north-west of the Old Town, sheltered by the Lapad peninsula and crossed at its mouth by the Franjo Tuđman bridge. This is the city's working end: the cruise quay, the Jadrolinija ferry terminal, the intercity bus station and the harbour-front market all sit within a few hundred metres of each other.
The port moved here from the Old Town in the twentieth century as ships outgrew the old harbour, and the district kept the everyday city with it. The morning market on the quay sells produce, fish and household goods at resident prices, the supermarkets are full-size, and the restaurants around the harbour serve the lunch trade off the boats rather than the postcard trade under the walls.
For visitors Gruž works as a base with logistics: ferries to Koločep, Lopud and Šipan leave from the terminal, seasonal catamarans connect to Mljet, Korčula and Split, and the buses to Pile gate take about ten minutes. Guesthouses and apartments here price well below the Old Town, which suits island-hopping itineraries and anyone arriving or leaving by sea. The fish restaurants near the market are among the best-value seafood in the city.
Nearby places in Dubrovnik
Other places around the bay, sorted by distance.
Lapad
Lapad is the leafy resort peninsula west of the centre, with the Uvala bay beach, a pedestrian promenade and mid-range family hotels.
Babin Kuk
Babin Kuk is the resort headland at the peninsula's tip, ringed by a coastal path with Copacabana beach and large hotel complexes.
Pile
Pile is the small district at the Old Town's western gate, the city's main arrival point for buses, taxis and walking tours.
Old Town
The walled Old Town holds Stradun, the Rector's Palace, the wall circuit and most of the restaurants, bars and landmarks visitors come for.
Ploče
Ploče runs east from the Old Town gate along the seafront, holding Banje beach, the cable car base and the five-star hotel strip.
Lokrum
Lokrum is the wooded island reserve fifteen minutes off the Old Port, with monastery ruins, a saltwater lake, peacocks and swimming coves.