Gruž Market

Gruž Market is where Dubrovnik shops. It sits on the port next to the ferry terminal, three kilometres from the Old Town, and it operates in two halves - the outdoor produce market where farmers from the surrounding hills sell what they grew that week, and the covered fish market where boats unload the morning's catch onto marble slabs. Nothing about it is performed for tourists; it is the messy, cheap, brilliant real thing.

The produce side has everything the region grows: mandarins from the Neretva valley in winter, wild asparagus in spring, tomatoes and figs in summer, chestnuts and quinces in autumn, plus honey, olive oil, cheese from Pag, and dried herbs. The fish side is more disciplined - a row of stalls with whole sea bass, gilthead bream, John Dory, mackerel, squid, octopus and shrimp on ice, all identified with Croatian and Latin names and prices per kilo. Locals arrive at 7:00 for the pick of the day.

Come by bus (1A, 1B, 3 or 8, ten minutes from Pile) or on foot along the port road. This is where you buy the ingredients if you are self-catering - budget half of what an Old Town supermarket charges. Even if you are not cooking, come to see the honest working city. Combine with the Franjo Tuđman Bridge viewpoint, ten minutes' walk away, or a cheap seafood lunch at one of the modest konobas facing the water. Sundays are limited but Saturday morning is peak.

Hours & entry

Always free

Mon-Sat 6:30-13:00 · Sun 6:30-11:00 · Fish market same hours, fresh delivery around 7:00

What to see

• Fish market at 7:00 delivery — Covered building beside the ferry terminal
• Local honey stalls — West side of the produce market
• Pag cheese stall — Central row, look for the round yellow wheels

Tips from the ground

• Come by 8:00 for the best fish selection - by 11:00 the good stuff is gone.
• Bring cash - almost nobody takes card.
• The nearby konobas do the day's catch for €15-20 - lunch here beats the Old Town.