Franciscan Monastery, Lopud

Franciscan Monastery, Lopud tickets: which one to buy

Lopud is one of the Elaphiti islands north-west of Dubrovnik, car-free and small, and the Franciscan monastery stands at the edge of its harbour village. Getting there is part of the visit: the ferry from Dubrovnik's port at Gruz takes around fifty minutes, and island-hopping boat tours visit Lopud together with Kolocep and Sipan in a day, usually allowing a couple of hours on each, which is enough for a swim and a walk. Access to the monastery itself is limited.

After a long period of abandonment it has been restored in recent years and is used for cultural events, exhibitions and research programmes, opening to visitors on particular days or tours rather than as a regular museum, so check what is running before counting on going inside. The fortified walls and the church front can be seen from the harbour path at any time, and the island walk to the sandy beach on the far side passes close by.

Visiting Franciscan Monastery, Lopud: what to see

The monastery was founded in 1483, when Lopud was a prosperous shipping community within the Republic of Ragusa, and it was built to withstand attack: its walls rise straight from the shore and carry defensive towers, because pirates and Ottoman raiders were a real threat to the islands. The church of Saint Mary of Spilica stands inside the enclosure. When the republic declined and the island's population fell, the friars left and the buildings decayed for well over a century.

A long restoration has since stabilised the walls, cloister and church, keeping the weathered stone rather than rebuilding it smooth, and has turned the complex into a place for contemporary art and environmental projects connected with the sea. The setting is the essential part: from the waterfront the fortified monastery, the old houses of the village and the chapels on the hills above make one of the most complete pictures of the old Dubrovnik islands. A small chapel on the hill above the village belongs to the same period and gives the best view down onto the walls.

Franciscan Monastery, Lopud opening hours and the best time to go

The ferries and island tours run most frequently from late spring to early autumn; in winter the service is sparse and much of Lopud closes. June and September are the best months, warm enough for swimming but without the August crowds. The island has no cars, so everything is on foot, and the walk across to Sunj beach takes about half an hour over the hill, or you can hire a golf buggy.

There is little shade on the path in summer, so the morning is better for walking and the afternoon for the beach. Events at the monastery are concentrated in the summer season. Take the first ferry from Dubrovnik to have the harbour quiet, and check the last return time before settling in. Allow half an hour to look at the monastery from outside, longer if it is open.