Rector's Palace
The elegant seat of the Ragusan Republic — where the elected Rector ruled for exactly one month at a time.
Gothic-Renaissance courtyard of the Rector's Palace with arcades
What to expect at Rector's Palace
The Rector's Palace is Dubrovnik's finest civic building and the heart of the old Ragusan Republic's government. Built in the 15th century in a mix of Gothic and early Renaissance styles, it housed the elected Rector — who was locked inside for his one-month term and forbidden to leave except on state business, a nice constitutional safeguard against ambition. Today it holds the Cultural History Museum, with restored state rooms, period furniture, portraits of Ragusan nobles, and the original keys to the city gates.
It is a manageable one-hour visit and pairs naturally with Sponza Palace directly across Luža Square. Start in the arcaded courtyard — free to enter and often used for summer concerts — then work through the ground-floor prison cells, up to the ceremonial rooms on the first floor. The Dubrovnik Pass covers entry, which makes it an easy add-on if you already have the walls ticket.
Questions about Rector's Palace
$15 for adults, $8 for students and children. Free for kids under 7.
Yes — the $40 Dubrovnik Pass includes the Rector's Palace plus eight other museums and the City Walls.
About an hour. Add 30 minutes if you like reading every label.
Open daily year-round. Closed only on Christmas Day and January 1st.
No advance booking needed; walk-up tickets are always available at the entrance on Pred Dvorom street.
Pile Gate or Ploče Gate, both about 5 minutes on foot along the Stradun.
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