We started our month-long Croatian adventure in the southern city of Dubrovnik, where we’ll spend a week exploring the city. Then, we’ll work our way north toward Split and several islands, where we will hike and bike.

But, we remain flexible. We have a general idea of where we’re going, but that’s about as organized as we like to get. Who knows where we might decide to go next? That’s part of the fun.

Dubrovnik’s Old Town — the Walled City

There is one thing we figured out quickly in Dubrovnik, we are not the only ones who thought this would be a beautiful place to visit. Dubrovnik has a population of only about 40,000 people, yet last year it welcomed 4.5 million visitors. That works out to 100 visitors for every resident.

During the middle of the day, especially when the cruise ships arrive, the Old Town can become absolutely packed. Tour groups fill the Stradun, the main street running through the heart of Old Town, guides wave little flags in the air, and everywhere you turn someone is taking a picture. Add all the Game of Thrones fans searching for King’s Landing, and this little walled city can sometimes feel like it has more tourists than stones. People refer to the Old Town as a Living History Museum.

Of course, it is easy to understand why everyone is here. Dubrovnik is spectacular. You walk through one of the old city gates and suddenly you are surrounded by massive stone walls, beautiful old buildings, narrow streets, churches, little plazas, and what seems like an endless number of stairways.

Countless cozy restaurants and small shops line the narrow streets of the Old Town, while cafés, restaurants, and bars spill out onto the plazas and along the Stradun.

Tables and chairs fill every corner and narrow street, creating a lively atmosphere of people gathering for a meal, a drink, or to rest and watch the flow of people.

Every so often we turn a corner and get a beautiful view of the Adriatic Sea. People have been living inside these walls for hundreds of years and it isn’t a movie set, although after Game of Thrones it might feel like one.

Tourism has been very good for Dubrovnik, but there is a downside. Restaurants, souvenir shops, apartments, walking tours, boat tours, and Game of Thrones tours seem to occupy every corner. And Dubrovnik prices remind you that you are visiting one of the most popular destinations in Europe.

The city is trying to limit the number of visitors these narrow streets can comfortably manage. Dubrovnik has taken steps to control the flow of cruise-ship passengers, including limiting the number of ships in port to two per day, with no more than about 5,000 passengers per ship. Even with those restrictions, thousands of people can arrive within a relatively short period of time and make their way toward an Old Town that is surprisingly small.

Venice, which faces the same problems with overtourism, has taken a different approach by charging an entrance fee for day-trippers during the busiest times of the year. Dubrovnik has considered how other heavily visited European cities are dealing with the problem, but for now has chosen not to follow Venice’s example. Instead of charging people to enter the Old Town, Dubrovnik is trying to manage the crowds by limiting cruise-ship traffic, restricting vehicle access around the historic center, and closely monitoring the number of people inside the walls.

What we found particularly interesting is that Dubrovnik counts people entering its historic center. Six electronic counters are installed at the entrances to the Old Town, and the number updates every 15 minutes. The information is displayed on an interactive online map, with colored circles showing how crowded the Old Town is at any time. It is like a traffic report, except instead of counting cars, Dubrovnik is counting tourists.

There is a limit of tourists the Old Town can reasonably handle. A study of the capacity of this UNESCO World Heritage Site determined that the upper limit, allowing for a moderate level of visitor tolerance, is 11,275 people at one time. That number gives you an idea of the challenge Dubrovnik faces. On many days, the potential number of passengers from just two large cruise ships comes close to that limit before you even count hotel guests, Airbnb renters, day-trippers, and residents.

Fortunately, we are staying here for 6 days rather than trying to see Dubrovnik in a few hours. That makes a huge difference. Early in the morning and later in the evening, after the cruise passengers and tour groups have left, Dubrovnik changes. The streets are quieter, restaurants are less hectic, and we can wander around without being part of a slow-moving parade.

And that may be the best part about spending time here. We don’t have to check Dubrovnik off a list and rush to the next place.  So we get lost in the side streets, stop for a coffee or a beer, climb yet another flight of stairs just to see where it goes, and come back tomorrow if we miss something.

Our apartment is just outside the walled city. To get to the heart of Old Town, we first walk down 68 steps, cross a street, and then either tackle another 82 steps or take a steep road downhill. From there, we enter through one of the gates into the walled city.

But we’re not there yet. Once inside, another 105 steps lead down the narrow pathway to Stradun. The entire distance from our apartment is less than a quarter mile, but I swear we are walking a quarter mile straight down! Getting into the center is easy enough. The real challenge comes on the way home, when we must climb every one of those steps again. It’s especially noticeable when we’re carrying groceries or heading back to the apartment after a meal and drinks in the evening.

Yes, Dubrovnik has a lot of tourists. More than 4 million visitors a year in a city of only 40,000 people is remarkable. And yes, we are two of them. But after spending time here, it is easy to understand why everyone keeps coming.