If you spend enough time wandering through the stone streets of the Old City, one thing becomes very clear. Dubrovnik belongs to cats just as much as it belongs to people. They nap under café chairs, sneak through tiny alleys like they own them, and somehow always look absolutely chill and relaxed.
Inspired by that feline kingdom is Nestcats, a small concept store in Zlatarska Street that is basically a tiny tribute to the city’s coolest inhabitants, as well as a truly unique souvenir shop.
Most shops in Dubrovnik sell the usual stuff, magnets, keychains, t shirts, lavender sachets, but this place offers something very different. Everything inside is devoted to Dubrovnik’s cats and made with obvious love and appreciation. Handmade ceramics, jewellery, clocks, textiles, paintings, little figures, and small objects that are either a perfect present for someone you love or exactly the thing you needed in your home.
The best part is that nothing feels mass produced. You can tell all these pieces were handmade by local artists and craftsmen, all telling their own stories about cats. Some pieces are funny, some elegant, some slightly weird in the best way possible, and they are all a perfect Dubrovnik souvenir.
By now you have probably realised that cats are a big deal in our city.
Dubrovnik has had a long love affair with street cats for decades. Visitors constantly mention them online as an integral part of the city’s lifestyle. Some travellers even remember the cats more than the food they ate or the monuments they admired.
The Nestcats store leans fully into this kitty atmosphere. According to local stories, Dubrovnik cats once protected the city from bad luck and even plague, which explains why cat imagery became part of local stories.
Inside the shop you will find souvenirs inspired by those stories, including handmade ceramic clocks and lucky charms. What also makes this place special is that it does not try too hard. Nobody is pulling you by the sleeve or yelling at you to come inside. It is as chilled as the cats themselves, playful, slightly eccentric, but genuinely charming.
You walk in because a cat drawing catches your eye and then suddenly you are holding a cat themed ceramic mug or a scarf you absolutely need, while seriously considering cat themed wall art for your kitchen.
The shop is located at Zlatarska 3 in the Old City, just a few steps from Stradun, so there is almost no excuse not to stop by while exploring.
If you want a souvenir that actually reminds you of Dubrovnik, something you could never buy at an airport, this is the place. And who knows, maybe you even end up getting a kitten when you get back home, if you do not already have one.
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