Basel City Walls and Gates

Remaining Basel City Walls and Gates

The Basel City Walls served as a fortification for the city of Basel betwen 1080 and 1860. On the inner and outer city walls, gates and diaphragm arches served as an entrance or exit to and from the city. After the big earthquake in 1356, the city walls had to be rebuilt again - a circular wall was built around the city which included 40 fortified towers, seven of which were gate towers (see the picture below). Today, three of these gate towers (St. Alban-Tor, St. Johanns-Tor, Spalentor), as well as a piece of the the Basel City Walls in the Saint Alban Valley, remain (see the pictures above). 

Original inner (red) and outer (brown) Basel City Walls

Thanks for reading!

Laura

source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basler_Stadtmauer

photo credit : http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basler_Stadtmauer

photo credit : http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalentor