This Stunning European Coastal City Is The World's Best Destination For A Screen-Free Escape

Digital detoxing is a hot topic in the travel industry. When better to untether yourself from all those screens and pings and notifications than when exploring a new place, freed from the responsibilities of day-to-day adult life? Even Gen Z, a generation portrayed as terminally online, is embracing the screen-free trend. But have you ever chosen a destination based on how well it facilitates a digital detox? If that piques your interest, start scouring the web for flight deals to Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Based on a recent survey conducted by eyewear brand Overnight Glasses, and shared with Islands in a press release, no city can match Dubrovnik as a destination for screen-free travel. Overnight Glasses analyzed cities across the world, using some interesting metrics to generate their rankings. Focusing on summer destinations, it compared factors such as green space, walkability, climate comfort, consistency of sunshine, and access to outdoor attractions. The safety and affordability of destinations was considered, too, as these aspects encourage people to get outside and explore, rather than sitting indoors, glued to their social media feeds.

Dubrovnik scored well across the board. It's one of Europe's most walkable cities, and summers are warm, with lots of sunshine and palatable levels of humidity. There are parks, plenty of outdoor attractions, the streets are considered very safe, and it probably doesn't hurt that the city is drop-dead gorgeous, prising eyes away from smartphones and onto the grand Baroque facades and Adriatic seascape. Your eyes will thank you for the digital detox. Constant screen time causes dryness, irritation, and fatigue. Gidon Sadovsky, Overnight Glasses' CEO, says, "The cure is not eye drops. It is looking at something far away, preferably green and outdoors. Look for places where the view is worth more than the notification on your phone."

Long before it was used as the setting of King's Landing in "Game of Thrones," Dubrovnik was considered one of the finest towns on the Dalmatian Coast, the "Pearl of the Adriatic." The Old Town is the area most people associate with Dubrovnik, with its marbled streets and terracotta roofs and circumjacent city walls overlooking the sea. Slide your phone into your pocket and take in the medieval architecture on foot. Walk along the perimeter walls, first constructed in the 13th century, and stop at the various gates and watchtowers. Other sites lining the labyrinthine Old Town streets include: 16th-century Sponza Palace, the large Onofrio Fountain, the Baroque-style Church of St. Blaise, and the Rector's Palace with its beautiful arched colonnade. This is also the busiest area of Dubrovnik, so consider visiting around sunrise or sunset.

Follow Gidon Sadovsky's advice — look at something distant, green, and outdoors — by walking towards Park Orsula, a couple miles outside town. It's about a 50-minute walk from the Old Town, or there's a more interesting route following an old caravan trail from Hotel Belvedere beside Plaža Sveti Jakov (St. Jacob's Beach). It's a gentle uphill stroll but you'll get stunning coastal views. Moreover, Park Orsula has a 500-seater amphitheater hosting concerts throughout the summer.

With consistent summer sun, Dubrovnik's beaches also beckon. St. Jacob's is a pretty beach, hemmed in by cliffs, though it requires a steep descent to access. Banje is one of the best beaches in Dubrovnik, but because it's also popular, loungers, food, and drinks come at a premium. Alternatively, check out Šulić Beach, a hidden pebble beach for snorkeling and kayaking, only 10 minutes from the Old Town on foot. Whichever beach you choose, make sure to pack a good book to avoid doom-scrolling between swims.