Pile Gate

Pile Gate is the main western entrance to the walled city of Dubrovnik, and for most visitors it is the first piece of Dubrovnik’s old town they see. The name comes from the Greek word pyle, meaning gate, and the structure is really a sequence of gates rather than a single opening. An outer gate, reached across a stone bridge over the former moat, leads to a short passage and then a second, inner gate, which opens onto the foot of Stradun, the city’s main street.

With defence in mind, the design was meant to stop attackers. In the Middle Ages and the early modern period Dubrovnik was an independent maritime republic, and the entrances to the city were built with defence in mind, with a drawbridge, a bend in the passage, and thick walls pierced by narrow openings. The inner gate is the older of the two, dating from the 15th century, while the outer gate was added in the 16th century. Above the outer arch there is a statue of St. Blaise, the patron saint of the city, and the same saint appears on many other buildings you will see inside the walls.

Siblings in the immediate area are easy to find from here. Fort Lovrijenac rises on a rock just outside the walls to the west, Onofrio’s Large Fountain stands just inside the gate, and Stradun runs ahead toward the Rector’s Palace and the cathedral. The city walls themselves start from a staircase close to the gate, which makes this the usual place to begin the walk around the ramparts.

The gate also has a place in popular culture, because Dubrovnik stood in for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones, and fans of the series often come here to see the exterior locations. That has added to the crowds, but the architecture holds its own regardless of the film connection. It is part of the UNESCO-listed old town, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List for its well-preserved fortifications and urban fabric.

Practical advice is simple. The area outside the gate is a busy transit point where buses stop and cruise passengers arrive in waves, so the best experience comes early in the morning or in the evening, when the stone is quiet and the light is gentle. Take a moment on the bridge to look back along the walls, and take care on the worn paving, which can be slippery after rain.