Medieval Town Wall

The medieval town wall of Cologne once spanned eight kilometers, encircling the city with fifty-two defensive towers and twelve massive gate castles. Today, these fortifications are largely gone, but three of the original gate castles remain: the Severinstorburg in the south, the Hahnentorburg in the west, and the Eigelsteintorburg in the north. You can identify these structures by their heavy, fortress-like masonry and imposing arched passages, which were designed to control the flow of traders, pilgrims, and kings entering the city during the Middle Ages.