as the story goes, the stairs were carved into the rock for the visit of king albert of belgium 1st, a keen mountain climber, in 1920.   however, some say king albert never actually used the stairs, preferring to take the natural route.

it is one of the oldest trails in the city, with the first mention of its existence dating back to 1853. most of the trail is shady but temperatures can reach high levels and so it is important to bring food and especially water for the trek.