The Jesuit Stairs are a short, steep run of stone steps connecting the lower streets of Dubrovnik's Old Town to the raised terrace in front of the Church of St Ignatius of Loyola, just off Ul. Josipa Jurja Strossmayera. For most of their existence they were simply the ceremonial approach to a Jesuit college and church complex, a piece of baroque urban planning tucked into a medieval street grid. Since 2015 they have had a second life as one of the most recognizable filming locations in Dubrovnik, the setting for Cersei Lannister's Walk of Atonement in Game of Thrones. You don't need to have watched a single episode to find the climb worthwhile. The stairs are a genuine architectural set piece, and the church at the top rewards the short detour on its own terms.

Why the Jesuit Stairs matter

Most people who climb these steps today are doing it for the photo. That's a fair enough reason, and the production team behind the show chose the location well. But the stairs also happen to be one of the clearest examples in Dubrovnik of a formal, symmetrical design gesture forced into an awkward, irregular site. The ground here slopes unevenly between two established squares, and whoever designed the staircase had to make it feel generous and open anyway. It does. The curve and split in the steps absorb the irregularity of the site so well that you don't notice the compromise until you stop to look for it, which is part of why the space photographs better than its actual footprint would suggest.

Quick facts

• Location: beside Poljana Ruđera Boškovića, a short walk uphill from Gundulić Square, Dubrovnik Old Town
• Built: early to mid-eighteenth century, as the formal approach to the Jesuit Church of St Ignatius
• Design influence: modeled on Rome's Spanish Steps, completed only a few decades earlier
• Filming connection: used for Cersei Lannister's Walk of Atonement in Game of Thrones, Season 5, which aired in 2015
• Admission: free and accessible at all hours, like any public street or stairway in the Old Town

Getting there

The stairs sit only a few minutes on foot from Stradun, Dubrovnik's main limestone-paved thoroughfare that runs the length of the Old Town. Coming from the Pile Gate end, walk the full stretch of Stradun toward the Old Harbour, then cut inland at Gundulić Square, where the daily morning market sets up. A narrow lane climbs south from there and opens directly onto the base of the staircase. If you're staying closer to the Old Harbour or Ploče Gate, the walk is just as short in the opposite direction. There's no vehicle access anywhere in this part of town, which is standard for the Old Town rather than anything specific to this site, so don't plan around a drop-off point.

The layout and experience

The staircase splits as it rises and curves back on itself, with landings broad enough for a group to stop, sit, and regroup before continuing up. At the top, the façade of St Ignatius opens onto a small plateau in front of the church, and from there you get a clean sightline back down over the Old Town's terracotta rooftops toward Gundulić Square below.

It's a compact space, and on a quiet morning you can see all of it in a few minutes. On a busy afternoon, especially during peak cruise-ship season, you may find yourself waiting behind other visitors mid-stride on the steps, phone held out, walking Cersei's walk for the camera. Expect to be asked to take someone else's photo here. It happens constantly, and most people take it in good humor rather than treating it as an interruption.

History and background

The Jesuit order arrived in Dubrovnik, then the independent Republic of Ragusa, in the sixteenth century and became a serious intellectual and religious presence in the city, eventually building a college and church complex on this elevated site above the main town. The Church of St Ignatius of Loyola went up in the early eighteenth century in a restrained baroque style, its interior frescoed with scenes from the saint's life. The stairs were added soon after, and their design borrows directly from the sweeping, split-landing form of Rome's Spanish Steps, finished only a few decades earlier and already being copied across Catholic Europe as a kind of architectural shorthand for ecclesiastical confidence.

For most of the twentieth century this was a functional, mostly overlooked corner of the Old Town's fabric rather than a landmark anyone sought out specifically. That changed when HBO's production crews filmed here in the 2010s. The Walk of Atonement scene remains one of the most discussed moments in the entire series, and enough of the real staircase and surrounding architecture is visible on screen that fans recognize the spot the moment they arrive, often before they've checked a map.

How it compares to similar places

If you've been to Rome and climbed the Spanish Steps, the family resemblance here is obvious at a glance, down to the split landings and the way the staircase curves to soften the site's awkward slope. The Jesuit Stairs are smaller and far less crowded by comparison, which makes them a decent stand-in if you want the same architectural idea without the scale of the crowds in Piazza di Spagna. Within Dubrovnik itself, nothing else quite matches this combination of formal baroque staging and film-location fame, though the broad steps near the Rector's Palace and Gundulić Square share something of the same theatrical use of public stone stairs as gathering spaces rather than mere passageways.

Best time to visit

Early morning, shortly after the Old Town wakes up and before the first cruise ship groups make their way up from the harbour, tends to be the calmest window to see the stairs without a line of people re-enacting the walk. Late afternoon works well for photography, when the light angles across the stone and picks out the texture of the steps rather than flattening them. Midday in July or August is the one stretch worth planning around if your goal is an uncluttered photo, since that's when tour groups and the heat both peak at once.

Combining with nearby attractions

The stairs lead straight up to the Church of St Ignatius, which is worth stepping inside for its frescoed ceiling even if you have no interest in the filming connection. Coming back down, Gundulić Square is a natural next stop, especially in the morning when the market stalls are set up selling produce, lavender, and local crafts. From there it's a short walk back to Stradun, putting you within easy reach of the Rector's Palace, the Cathedral of the Assumption, and the Old Harbour, all of which can be folded into the same loop through the Old Town without much backtracking.

Practical tips

• Visit early or late in the day if you want photos without other tourists mid-pose on the steps
• Wear shoes with some grip. The stone is smooth from centuries of foot traffic and can be slick after rain
• There's no shade on the stairs themselves, so midsummer midday climbs can feel hot fast
• Step inside St Ignatius after the climb. It's a quieter, less photographed payoff than the stairs themselves
• Be ready to take a photo for a stranger. It's practically a ritual at this particular spot

FAQ

Is there an entry fee for the Jesuit Stairs?
No. They're a public staircase in the Old Town, open and free at all hours, the same as any other street or set of steps in Dubrovnik.

Do I need to know Game of Thrones to appreciate them?
Not at all. The staircase is a notable piece of eighteenth-century design on its own, built as the formal approach to a Jesuit church and modeled on the Spanish Steps in Rome.

How long does a visit take?
On a quiet morning you can see the stairs and the church above in well under half an hour. Add time if you're waiting for a clear shot during busy periods.

Is the walk up difficult?
It's steep but short, and the broad landings give you places to pause. Most visitors manage it without trouble, though it's not step-free, so it may be awkward with a stroller or limited mobility.

However you arrive at the Jesuit Stairs, whether chasing a scene from the show or simply curious about the baroque architecture tucked above Gundulić Square, the climb takes only a few minutes and the view back over Dubrovnik's rooftops makes the detour worth it on its own.