Dubrovnik

10 congress myths which you did not dare to ask, or know whom to ask:

MYTH 1: I can organise my event in one of the seven kingdoms on the continents of Westeros, Essos and Astapor.
PLAUSIBLE: Unfortunately you cannot visit these continents, because they don’t exist, but they are real locations where the famous sitcom Game of Thrones was filmed, and in Dubrovnik you can really get the feeling that you managed to find yourself in a real Game of Thrones. The Lovrijenac Fortress has served as King Joffrey’s home, and the tower Minčeta, Dubrovnik symbol, which falls under UNESCO protection. Lokrum is also in the story, known as the port city of Qarth.

Game of Thrones

MYTH 2: Dubrovnik is an expensive meetings destination.
BUSTED: Whilst Vilnius was announced as the cheapest weekend European destination, Dubrovnik finished sixth on the list. The capital of Lithuania is at the top of the list of the City Costs Barometer in Travel Money from the British Post Office. The recently released list covers 26 European cities, and Vilnius took the title of cheapest destination. A weekend in the Lithuanian capital will set you back only 130 EUR, while a weekend in Dubrovnik came in at 192 EUR.

MYTH 3: Croatia has the largest number of UNESCO heritage sites in Europe.
CONFIRMED: On the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites 18 Croatian monuments of exceptional importance are registered. Of these, seven are cultural and historical monuments and natural beauty and eleven are of non-material cultural values. Dubrovnik is perhaps best know for its well-preserved city walls, which hide within them the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains in the heart of the city.

MYTH 4: Hordes of tourists from mega cruise ships besiege Dubrovnik.
PLAUSIBLE: There are only few early morning moments when for many people the most beautiful city in the Mediterranean has empty streets. However, this often occurs right in the high spring and autumn congress season. More than a thousand cruisers annually dock in the city, brining over a million tourists. The experienced locals will help you to find a peaceful tavern away from the buzz and the right space for your event.

Dubrovnik

MYTH 5: The Dubrovnik Republic still exists.
BUSTED: Maybe in the hearts of the true “gospar” families and in the special spirit of the city at the Rector’s Palace (Knežji dvor), whose chambers tell the stories about the famous Adriatic maritime republic. In 1358, with the Zadar contract the city was freed from the Venetian authorities and began a new chapter as a successful, independent trading power. Venice was a great rival, but never prevailed over the Dubrovnik Republic. In 1808, however, Napoleon did manage to dominate its territory.

MYTH 6: The oldest European events take place in Dubrovnik.
PLAUSIBLE: It can’t quite be confirmed, but certainly the “Fešta Sv. Blaža” is amongst the oldest, as it has been running since the 10th century. This patron saint of the city has been honoured since the 10th century when, according to legend, he defended Dubrovnik from the Venetians who wanted to occupy Dubrovnik by fraudulent means.

Dubrovnik Festival

MYTH 7: Dubrovnik is an inaccessible meeting destinations.
BUSTED: Flight availability to Dubrovnik is improving year on year, borne out by the number of new routes and increased traffic at the airport. Of the regional airports, Dubrovnik is in 4th place, with 1,584,471 passengers, ahead of Ljubljana and behind after Split, Zagreb and Belgrade. Last year there was 4.1% growth in the number of passengers.

Dubrovnik

MYTH 8: You can meet world famous people at every step.
CONFIRMED: In the summer season there is not a day that goes by without world famous people visiting this beautiful city. Many choose Dubrovnik to have their wedding, and the truth is that there are only few places that compete with it as a special place to get married. With a little luck, you will be able to catch some of the world’s stars walking right past you.

Dubrovnik

MYTH 9: Dubrovnik has the best hotels.
PLAUSIBLE: This is quite an unrewarding myth that has so many possible answers as event organisers. Therefore, we considered the ‘hidden congress guest’ assessment, which every year reaches its peak with the MEETING STAR award to the winners and has been carried out continuously since 2007. The data is collected by means of a hidden hotel guest who, in a structured way, assesses over 450 criteria. The best hotel in Dubrovnik is based on the final grade: most recently it was the Hilton Imperial Hotel.

Dubrovnik, Hilton Imperial

MYTH 10: Dubrovnik has the best special venues.
PLAUSIBLE: As with the previous myth, this is another tricky question. Many organisers swear by the Revelin and Lovrijenac Fortress: for a real experience of historic Dubrovnik there is the possibility to organise an event at the Revelin fortress, guarding the town on the eastern side, or Lovrijenac fortress to its west. The large space behind the wall and the outdoor terraces caters for events and offers a magnificent view over the town.

Lovrijenac

Join our newsletter!

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest updates from Kongres Magazine.