PalaceClosed Monday (November-March), 25 December, 1 January, 3 February

Rector's Palace

#5of 10 places to visit in DubrovnikDubrovnik, Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia

Also known as Knežev dvor · Cultural History Museum Dubrovnik

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:00–18:00 and 09:00–16:00, closed Mondays. Entry: €15. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 09:00 to 10:30.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

Get directionsOfficial site

Photo: Américo Toledano / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: 09:00–16:00; Closed Mondays
Entry fee: €15; Ticket from
Time needed: 1 hr
Best time of day: 09:00 to 10:30
Best months: May – Jun, Sep – Oct
Address: Pred Dvorom 3, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia

About Rector's Palace

Rector's Palace in Dubrovnik charges EUR 15 for adults, as of 2026, and houses the Cultural History Museum in the former seat of the Republic of Ragusa's government. The building blends late Gothic arches with Renaissance and Baroque additions, and its atrium of paired stone columns is among the best-known courtyards on the Adriatic. Period rooms, portraits, weapons, coins and administrative offices trace how the Republic governed itself for several centuries.

Best time of day: 09:00 to 10:30. On opening, before cruise-ship groups reach the Old Town.

Rector's Palace timings

Opening hours: 09:00–16:00; Monday Closed
Tue–Sun 09:00–18:00 and 09:00–16:00; 1 April-31 October: 09:00-18:00 daily. 1 November-31 March: 09:00-16:00, closed Mondays.
Closed on: Monday (November-March), 25 December, 1 January, 3 February

Monday	Closed
Tue–Sun	09:00–18:00 and 09:00–16:00

Good to know: Closed on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and the Feast of St Blaise (3 February); open 09:00-12:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Opening hours compiled from dumus.hr and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Rector's Palace ticket price

Entry fees for Rector's Palace
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	€15
Concession (student / senior)	€8
Children	Free

Adult admission is EUR 15, students and pupils EUR 8, and a family ticket EUR 35, as of 2026 per Dubrovnik Museums. Children under 7 enter free, as do residents of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The combined ticket for 10 museums and galleries costs EUR 20 (EUR 10 students) and stays valid for 7 days from first visit; verify at dumus.hr.

Prices compiled from dumus.hr and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Rector's Palace

Quiet
Moderate
Very busy

09:00 - 10:30
Opening HourBest time to go
Rooms are almost empty and the atrium is quiet enough to hear your steps on the limestone.
Quiet
10:30 - 14:00
Group Window
Guided tours from Pile Gate cluster in the atrium and the narrow staircase slows to single file.
Very busy
14:00 - 16:00
Afternoon
Group traffic thins but the atrium stays busy with independent visitors sheltering from heat.
Moderate
16:00 - 18:00
Late Summer Close
In summer only, the museum stays open to 18:00 and empties as cruise passengers head back to ship.
Quiet

History of Rector's Palace

Rector's Palace was heavily damaged by a gunpowder explosion in 1435, after which the Republic commissioned Neapolitan engineer Onofrio della Cava, and later the Dalmatian sculptor-architect Juraj Dalmatinac, to rebuild it in a Gothic-Renaissance idiom. Fires and the 1667 earthquake forced further reconstruction, which explains the Baroque staircase and grand hall that sit beside the older loggia.

Rector's Palace was home to an elected Rector who governed Dubrovnik from this building for a term of just one month, living in it and, by convention, leaving only for state business, a rule meant to prevent any individual from accumulating power. The atrium holds a bust of Miho Pracat, a 16th-century Lopud shipowner honoured with the only statue the Republic set up to a commoner, and a Latin inscription urging officials to forget private affairs and attend to public ones.

Rules & etiquette at Rector's Palace

Rector's Palace is a museum, so touching stonework, furniture and display cases is not allowed. Photography for personal use without flash is generally permitted in the atrium and rooms, though signs may mark exceptions in specific galleries. Large backpacks, tripods and food are best left at your accommodation, and the ticket desk can advise on any bag policy at the door.

Rector's Palace has narrow staircases and uneven stone floors; the atrium is at ground level but upper floors are reached by stairs, so mobility-limited visitors should check access details with Dubrovnik Museums before visiting. During the Dubrovnik Summer Festival the atrium is used for concerts and may close to sightseers on performance evenings, and visitors should keep voices low, since the courtyard echoes.

Tips for visiting Rector's Palace

1
Rector's Palace is cheapest through the combined 10-museum ticket at EUR 20, as of 2026, if you also plan the Maritime Museum and the Ethnographic Museum, since those two cost EUR 18 on their own. The combined ticket stays valid for 7 days, so spread museums across cooler mornings rather than one hot afternoon.
2
Rector's Palace opens at 09:00, and the first hour is close to empty even in August; midday tour groups take over the atrium by about 11:00. Give the museum 45 to 60 minutes and start with the atrium and ground-floor offices before climbing to the period rooms, where the stone staircase is the slowest bottleneck. In winter, remember the Monday closure and the 16:00 close, which catches many late-lunching visitors out. Pair the visit with Sponza Palace and the Cathedral, both within a 3-minute walk on Luža Square.

How to reach Rector's Palace

The red star is Rector's Palace; the numbered pins are the 5 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Pred Dvorom 3, 20000 Dubrovnik, CroatiaDirections in Google Maps

From Pile Gate
0.5 km · 8 min
Free on foot
From Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)
21 km · 40-50 min
approximately EUR 10-13 one way (verify at the airport)
From Gruž ferry and bus terminal
3 km · 25-35 min
approximately EUR 2-3 single

Nearest airport

From Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) at Čilipi

approximately 21 km, 30-40 minutes by airport shuttle bus to Pile Gate or by taxi.

Nearest station

From Dubrovnik has no railway station; the nearest public transport hubs are the Pile Gate bus stop (city buses and airport shuttle) and Gruž bus station, about 3 km away.

Rector's Palace FAQs

How much does the Rector's Palace cost?

Adult admission is EUR 15, students EUR 8 and a family ticket EUR 35, as of 2026. Children under 7 enter free, and a combined 10-museum ticket costs EUR 20.

What are the opening hours of the Rector's Palace?

The palace is open 09:00-18:00 daily from 1 April to 31 October and 09:00-16:00 from 1 November to 31 March, closed on Mondays in winter, as of 2026.

Is the Rector's Palace included in the Dubrovnik Pass?

Yes, ticket sellers list it among the museums covered by the Dubrovnik Pass, and the EUR 20 combined museum ticket is a cheaper alternative if you plan only a few museums. Verify current inclusion at the time of purchase.

How long does a visit to the Rector's Palace take?

Plan about 45 to 60 minutes. Allow more if you want to read the room labels and visit the stairs and atrium slowly.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places