– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Dubrovnik, Croatia.

On social media, you'll find lots of incredible photos

of this harbor city on the Adriatic Sea.

But does it live up to the hype in real life?

Let's take a look at three tourist hotspots.

Dubrovnik's medieval town center

has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

The Old Town gained international fame in 2011 as a setting for the

fantasy TV series "Game of Thrones."

It's what makes Dubrovnik

one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe.

The city attracts tourists from all over the world.

Perhaps too many.

Dubrovnik has a population of around 40,000 people,

but can get up to 15,000 visitors per day in high season.

It's time for our first hotspot: the old town walls of Dubrovnik.

They offer excellent panoramic views of the old town.

They were part of a fortification set to exist as early as the 8th century.

The current walls are among the best preserved medieval

fortifications in Europe.

They consist of 16 towers and three fortresses

and reach up to 25 meters high.

Many tourists will recognise the walls from "Game of Thrones,"

but locals say they don't want the series to overshadow the city's history.

Yes, a change of perception, because now people mostly come

because of "Game of Thrones".

And I want people to know the history of the walls

And not just to see the town through the series.

The walls are around 2 kilometers long and encircle the old town.

We think this short walk gives you a good overview of what the town

has to offer.

It's definitely worth a visit.

We thought that we would come to the city walls first

to get the bird's eye view of everything that's here;

look down on the city, look out at the water.

And then we can decide and cherrypick

what we think we'd like to do next.

Our next destination is the old town's main pedestrian street Stradun.

You'll find epic pics of it on social media.

But what's it actually like?

The promenade runs through the old town.

Along it you'll find shops, cafés and a palace.

The buildings along the road were all constructed

after a major earthquake took place in 1667.

The moment I stepped here I felt like I was transported back in time,

like a thousand years ago.

It's quite a good experience, from the moment you enter the gate,

the walls, and then the street.

So, it's pretty nice.

So does it live up to the hype?

We think the promenade is worth seeing, but keep in mind that

everything here is geared towards tourists.

The only locals you'll meet are likely to be working in the nearby

shops and pricey cafes.

Be sure to check out the picturesque old harbor

at the end of the Stradun.

It dates back to the 15th century and is still in use today.

It's the perfect place to take a short break.

Before moving on to the third hotspot, the view from Mount Srđ.

More than 400,000 visitors a year take this cable car up

Dubrovnik's local mountain.

The ride takes only four minutes and a round trip ticket costs 27 euros.

Ivan Bukvić has been a cable car driver here for eight years.

The history of this cable car, is that the first one existed [was built] in 1969,

but unfortunately in the war time it was destroyed.

But it was rebuilt in 2010

and until now it's the most touristic attraction here.

The cable car even brought Ivan luck!

The cable car means a lot to me,

it's like my job but it's also part of my life.

I also met my wife here and I'm happily married.

Once at the top, you can enjoy the view from several platforms.

The light is incredible at sunset.

It's my first time here on Srđ,

and when you come here it's just 'Wow!'

It's not like on pictures, it's totally different.

We agree — in real life it's even more beautiful than on social media.

And if you don't want to pay for the cable car, you can also take a bus

to the top for about 2 euros.

The trip takes 20 minutes.

So what do we think about the three hotspots we visited?

The historic city walls, the main pedestrian street in the old town

and the view from Mount Srđ all deliver

what they promise in pictures.

Dubrovnik offers plenty of material for your social media feed.

And for beautiful holiday memories.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town
tourist /ˈtʊərɪst/ A1	noun - a person traveling for pleasure
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for many years
wall /wɔl/ A1	noun - a vertical structure defining an area
view /vjuː/ A1	noun - the ability to see something
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
historic /hɪˈstɒrɪk/ B1	adjective - famous or important in history
promenade /prəˈnɑːd/ B1	noun - a walk taken for pleasure
fortification /ˌfɔːrtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ B2	noun - a military construction for defense
panoramic /ˌpænəˈræmɪk/ B2	adjective - providing a wide view of an area
picturesque /ˌpɪktʃəˈresk/ B2	adjective - visually attractive, especially in a traditional way
preserve /prɪˈzɜːrv/ B2	verb - to keep safe from harm or change
cherrypick /ˈtʃɛriˌpɪk/ C1	verb - to select the best or most desirable parts
overshadow /ˌoʊvərˈʃædoʊ/ C1	verb - to be more important or noticeable than
incredible /ɪnˈkrɛdəbl/ B1	adjective - difficult to believe; extraordinary
heritage /ˈhɛrɪtɪdʒ/ B2	noun - property passed down through generations
encircle /ɛnˈsɜːrkl/ B2	verb - to surround completely
attract /əˈtrækt/ A2	verb - to draw someone or something toward
pedestrian /pəˈdɛstriən/ B1	noun - a person walking adjective - intended for people to walk along
cable /ˈkeɪbl/ B1	noun - a strong thick rope or wire