With kids, Pile Gate & Onofrio's Fountain works.
The dramatic threshold into the walled city and the best orientation point — pass under the gate and Stradun unfurls ahead of you. The catch is it's also the single most congested pinch point in Dubrovnik, the funnel where cruise tenders disgorge their passengers; the crush peaks late morning when ships are in and eases sharply by late afternoon once they sail. Slip in early or after the tenders stop and the same gate is calm. Drink at Onofrio's big round fountain just inside — Ragusa's 15th-century waterworks, and still potable.