The Karlstor is a medieval city gate characterized by an open central archway framed by two neo-Gothic towers. Constructed in the fourteenth century as part of the city’s second defensive wall, it was originally called the Neuhauser Tor…
Munich's Medieval Gates and Walls
Trace the boundaries of old Munich by walking between the city's surviving medieval gates and hidden wall remnants. You'll learn how the city defended itself, welcomed traders, and grew from a small market town into an imperial stronghold.
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1. Karlstor
2. Goldschmied vom Schönen Turm
A bronze sculpture of a man, the Goldschmied vom Schönen Turm, occupies a corner of the Hirmer department store building. This figure commemorates a local legend tied to the Schöner Turm, a medieval city gate that once stood here as part…
3. Sendlinger Tor
The Sendlinger Tor is defined by its two hexagonal flanking towers, which stand at the southern edge of Munich’s historic old town. This stone structure remains as one of the three medieval gates that once controlled movement through the…
4. Lion's Tower
The Lion’s Tower, or Löwenturm, stands out as a twenty-three-meter-tall red brick structure on the Rindermarkt. Unlike the modern glass buildings surrounding it, this tower possesses no entrance and no visible staircase. It rises seven…
5. Altes Rathaus, Anno 1310
The Altes Rathaus stands at the eastern end of the Marienplatz, distinguished by a fifty-six-meter tower that predates the building itself. This tower was originally a twelfth-century defensive gate known as the Talburgtor, which served as…
6. Isar Gate
The Isartor stands as the eastern gate to Munich’s historic center, distinguished by a massive forty-meter-tall central tower flanked by two octagonal side towers. Commissioned by Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian and completed in thirteen…
7. Alte Stadtmauer
The ancient city wall of Munich is distinguished by its heavy, weathered masonry, often found preserved behind protective glass displays in the historic center. This wall system once defined the boundaries of medieval Munich, beginning…