We found an apartment in Sustjepan! Thankfully we have projects to work on, so we will be staying for a while. It is a small village, 35 minutes by foot and 10 minutes by bus from the Old Town of Dubrovnik. This area, is full of everything I love; the architecture, rich history, kind people, good food, and nature one couldn’t ignore even if you tried.
I can’t say enough about the stunning natural settings or the views from both our living room and our bedroom. We face the River Ombla, which empties into the Adriatic sea. When we are at home working on our computers, we leave the shutters open all day so we can see the gray-green mountains that rise above the picturesque old town of Mokošica just across the river. They say that in the summertime when the water is warm enough, it’s possible to swim across from Sustjepan to Mokošica, and I hope we will get the chance. It’s been the prettiest place I have ever seen, let alone lived in. It is May, the weather is mild and our daily walks are filled with beautiful scenery and delicious springtime scents.
Good morning!
From our living room, we can watch sailboats go up river, on their way to the marina.
Wildflowers growing all along the riverbanks. I am in love with this place.
The water here is impossibly clear with hues of greens and blues depending on the time of day. There are thousands of wildflowers everywhere you look, and birds (lots of swallows!) seem to sing all day. The sound of the river water lapping the shores is the last thing I hear each night. I can’t imagine a more serene and perfect place.
There are several smaller villages near Sustjepan, the bus #1 will take you all the way to the end of Mokošica before turning around to go back to Dubrovnik’s old town. All the villages on this route is water-side. We pass by old stone houses with small private family vineyards, some abandoned homes with stone roofs caved in, old wooden boats on the side of the road… all adds to the specialness of the place.
We take walks often, and this garden with a reflecting pool is by the marina, not too far from where we live.
In closing, even if you only have a few days in Dubrovnik, a visit to Sustjepan/Mokošica area is definitely something we recommend. It’s a very nice way to spend a full day or afternoon in nature, and a good opportunity to see a completely different side of Dubrovnik after you’ve seen all the sights of the old town.
Tips for a day trip from Dubrovnik’s Old Town to the magical area of Sustjepan:
Take the Libertas Bus #1 A/B (Pile-Mokosica)
Have lunch or dinner at Konoba Bonaca. Of all the restaurants we’ve tried, this one wins in taste, atmosphere, and service. Great river views from the restaurant while enjoying fresh seafood, pizza, cold beer or coffee.
Walk from Konoba Bonaca to the mouth of the River Ombla. This takes about 30 minutes if you stop often, but it makes for a peaceful nature walk. There are bus stops along the way, and you can always hop on if you get tired. The bus runs every 10 minutes, see the link below for the schedule
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