Beautiful European city slammed as ‘horribly touristy and crowded’

The last few summers in Europe have been particularly busy. Tourists, eager to throw off pandemic restrictions, have hit many of the continent’s top destinations.

While it’s been fun to see travel firmly back on the agenda, some hotspots are a little overcrowded.

According to Reddit users, Dubrovnik, a coastal city in Croatia, is one destination that’s been slightly ruined by crowds.

The coastal city is known for its walled Old Town and has seen a resurgence in visitors following the release of Game of Thrones, which filmed many scenes in Dubrovnik.

A tourist wrote on Reddit: “It’s extremely touristy, huge boats are coming in and out bringing thousands of tourists in the very small old town. After 9am it’s packed and really not enjoyable anymore.”

Dubrovnik is a popular cruise destination and despite a cap on numbers, more than 1,000 passengers often disembark each day.

Another tourist opined: “Croatia is amazing but this city doesn’t represent it well. It’s super expensive and very, very touristy. Even worse when cruise ships roll in. Explore the rest of the country too.”

Croatia has several spectacular national parks and other pretty coastal regions to explore. However, if you’re planning on taking a dip, you might want to take an unusual item.

Another tourist claimed: “Beautiful place, but it’s horribly touristy, crowded and filled with cruise passenger tours.

“It’s basically Balkans Disneyworld in all of the worst ways, with whatever Croatian culture that was there long abandoned.”

Despite this, a Croatian resident said there are ways to explore the city without struggling with too many crowds.

They said: “The key is going off season or once kids are back in school. Also getting up early – beats the heat too.

“I had the entire city to myself one morning and waited with a cat for someone to open up the tower.”

An early start can help tourists beat the queues and see the major attractions before the cruise ships arrive.