Delayed or canceled flights can be a real nuisance, causing frustration and boredom whenever they happen. Still, if this ever happens to you at Dubrovnik airport (DBV) there are a few ways to turn the situation to your advantage. As someone who lived in Dubrovnik and worked at its airport for quite a few years, I had seen a lot of frustrated tourists aimlessly waiting for the time to pass – which is a big mistake as there are several interesting and cool things you can do.

Coffee and Duty Free Shops

First of all, you don’t need to leave the airport at all to spend some quality time; there are two coffee shops – one in the domestic department and one in the international department – where you can enjoy a relaxing drink and read the newspapers or magazines you purchased from the nearby vendor. There is also a duty free shop offering a variety of items – from snacks to souvenirs.

Five Thousand Year Old Cave

Dubrovnik airport is special as it has a unique natural phenomenon almost right under it – the five thousand year old Durovic Cave, a unique tourist and speleological attraction. This beautiful and massive cave has an incredible number of stalactites and stalagmites and the visit is a visually spectacular experience indeed. Many interesting archeological remains (bones, Bronze Age tools and pottery) found in the cave are now exhibited there. The cave also hosts a wine cellar where visitors can try the local wines. The entry ticket costs about 6 Euros (40 kuna) and the cave is open for visitors every day from 10am to 6pm.

Heading Back to Town

This depends on how much time you have, but heading back to town can be a reasonable option. A bus leaves for Dubrovnik upon arrival of every scheduled flight; the ticket costs about 5 Euros (35 kuna). A taxi service is also available 24 hours a day. The airport is some 15 kilometers away from the town itself, and the drive lasts only for a few minutes, meaning you can reach the town very quickly; then your options are almost limitless.

The Local Cuisine

So, let’s say you head back to the city. You can take a walk, enjoy the sights, visit some shops or – the best thing you can do, I swear – get something to eat! Although Dubrovnik has everything from fast food to Mexican or Chinese takeout, not to try the local cuisine would be a shame. The cuisine of Dubrovnik is usually based on fish, mild spices and pasta, all washed down with some quality wine. The local specialty is the Dubrovnik rožata so be sure to try it. Some of the most popular restaurants include the Proto and Arsenal, both located in the Old Town, and Orsan, situated in a part of the town called Lapad, right by the sea. Still, the restaurants are so numerous I recommend checking out the list on Online Croatia, where you can find the most famous restaurants in Dubrovnik with telephone numbers and locations.

Museum of Modern Arts

I’ll assume you previously found the time to visit the City Walls and other popular attractions, but you probably forgot the museums – they’re a great way to spend a couple of hours. The town has eight major museums, but may I recommend the Museum of Modern Arts – the art is exciting and well-presented and the experience will be enjoyable even if you’re not much of an art fan.

These are just some of the possibilities you have when your flight has been delayed or cancelled. I hope I introduced you with some interesting activities to ease a bad situation and make your waiting hours relaxing and happy!

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About the author: Romeo Demes is a passionate writer and blogger from Croatia. He lived more than half of his life in the beautiful Dubrovnik. He travels a lot and has seen many amazing places, but you know how they say – no place feels like home.

[Image from Wikipedia – some rights reserved]