Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik's city walls have stood for centuries, smugly defying pirates, invaders, and more recently, cruise-ship tourists armed with selfie sticks. To walk these venerable ramparts is to saunter atop history itself-past terracotta rooftops that survived sieges, earthquakes, and HBO location scouts. Go early in the morning, about the time local grandmothers open their shutters and glare suspiciously at pigeons, or late afternoon, when the sun dips theatrically over the Adriatic, making even your Instagram feed feel intellectually superior. Budget around 35 euros (trust me, it won't bankrupt your craft beer fund), plan to spend about two leisurely hours, and pack SPF, sunglasses, and a bottle of water-because historical reverence quickly loses its charm when you're red as a lobster and dehydrated. Sure, you'll bump into hundreds of others doing exactly the same thing, but the jaw-dropping vistas and sheer bragging rights of having walked the same medieval fortifications that outlasted Ottoman cannons and Napoleon's ego make it entirely worthwhile. Even if it's just so you can smugly recount at parties how you conquered Dubrovnik without ever brandishing a selfie stick.

Ascending Mount Srd via cable car is like entering a glassy toaster strung to heaven, powered by equal parts faith, sturdy engineering, and a handful of pure Croatian optimism. As you glide upward from Dubrovnik's sun-baked medieval walls, you'll soon realize why invading armies, ambitious film crews, and cruise ship hordes have all coveted this slice of Adriatic coastline. From your dangling perch, the terracotta roofs below transform into a picturesque mosaic, and offshore islands spread before you like lazy green turtles basking in turquoise soup. Mornings or late afternoons are best-less crowded, cooler temps, and golden sunlight that even filters in Instagram-worthy hues. Think ahead: in high season, buy tickets online or risk standing in lines that rival the city's medieval fortifications. Budget around €30 for the round-trip fare, toss a bottle of water and a snack into your backpack (mountaintop cafes take tourist-priced revenge), and prepare to snap photos that will have your friends muttering jealous obscenities. Sure, it's touristy-but the cable car ride up Mount Srd offers both breathtaking landscapes and the deliciously nerve-tingling sensation of dangling precariously above missed sunscreen spots and selfie-stick wielding tourists. And truly, what's travel without just a pinch of mortal dread and an unrivaled view?