Eastern Entrance to the Dubrovnik City Walls and Church of St. Luke

Entrances and Route Information

• Western Entrance: Located near the Pile Gate, accessed from the Stradun side.
• St. John’s Fortress Entrance: Located by St. John’s Fortress, home to the Aquarium and Maritime Museum.
• Eastern Entrance: Located near the Ploče Gate.

Visitor Note: Due to high visitor traffic, movement along the walls is strictly one-way in a counterclockwise direction. Completing the full loop takes up to 2 hours, but you can exit earlier at any of the other access points.

About the Church of St. Luke

The Church of St. Luke is situated within the walls of Dubrovnik’s Old Town, close to the Ploče Gate (the eastern entrance to the city).

It is a freestanding, single-nave church built from dressed stone, featuring a dome and a semicircular apse.

First mentioned in written sources in 1245, the church follows a traditional orientation with its sanctuary facing east—a hallmark of Pre-Romanesque design. Its central section features a dome with a drum, which took on the function of an apse during later structural modifications.

Over the centuries, the building was expanded and adapted multiple times, with its last major addition completed in 1787.

In the early 19th century, following the French occupation, the church lost its sacred status and was converted into a warehouse. Today, the space functions as a gallery and gift shop.