The main entrance to Old Town, busy Pile Gate (the name derived from Greek word pylaj meaning gate), used to have a wooden drawbridge which was pulled up at night to prevent unwelcome guests entering the medieval, walled city. The drawbridge was replaced by a stone bridge from 1537. The bridge crosses a moat which is now a green space. Pile Gate or “Vrata od Pila” is one of the two main gates in this medieval walled city and is the main entrance into the fortified Old Town of Dubrovnik. It is very interesting to see the fortification and the size of the massive city walls when viewed from the top of the wall. The Pile Gate, built in the mid-16th century on the western side of the walls, is a strong defensive structure built on different levels. It looks like a tower that connects two bridges located above the moat of the walls and leads to a second internal door. In a niche above the oval arch stands a small statue of St. Blaise, the patron saint of Dubrovnik. He appears to be cradling Dubrovnik in his arms. From this gate there is also a nice view of the Lavrijenac fort. Of course we had to take a Game of Thrones tour and we learned that Pile Bay was one of the most used Game of Thrones Dubrovnik filming sites. The overall backdrop was used for the Blackwater Bay battle scenes. The stone walkway at the bottom is where Sansa and Shae stood and spoke of the ships sailing by...fantasizing of where they were headed. The beach in the middle is where we watched the departure and return of Myrcella. Going through the Pile Gate we entered a completely different world. Located right next to the deep blue sea, this neighborhood is a great place to walk, and take picture after picture of the old red tile houses, and the small, winding streets like mazes. The area has also been recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. After we passed through the gate, we found a lively little square surrounded by several landmarks. To our left, was a steep staircase that lead up to the imposing Minceta tower. This was our starting point for our walk along the wall.

Pile Gate is one of the main entrances to old town Dubrovnik. You walk along a little bridge that you can imagine was once above a moat to access the gate. Pile Gate is fairly close to the Tourist Office and the area where most of the tour buses leave from. There are also restaurants and shops near the gate. It is worth a visit.

During our day in Dubrovnik, we passed through this gate in the old walls a few times in order to go in and out of the old city. There were big crowds so there was a bit of a pedestrian traffic jam as the gate passage is somewhat narrow. You will not walk quickly.

One of a number of gates to get in. Probably the most popular due to its proximity to the bus stops. There is a plaza and meeting place with a good view, ice cream shop, tourist information and a newsagent souvenir shop (with air con) over the road are 2 mini markets where you can get fruit and drinks for your day. A little further up the road is jojo burger and a Superb little bakery with local pasties and bureks. Get loaded up here before you pass through the gates to explore. Observe the one way line as you enter the city!

This is a crazily busy place to be in August. The statue there seems to be the meeting place for lots of tours going on. Bus stops to Dubrovnik Port and Ferry also go from there. There was also lots of traffic if you wanted to get a cab anywhere.