Ravensburg - Untertor - Medieval Gateway above a Lively City Square

The imposing Untertor rises above a lively square in Ravensburg, where cafés and pedestrians gather beneath one of the city’s historic medieval gateways.

The Untertor is one of the distinctive surviving gateways of Ravensburg’s medieval fortifications and remains a prominent landmark at the edge of the historic old town. This photograph shows the tall, pale stone tower rising above a lively pedestrian area, where café tables and modern city life create a striking contrast with the centuries-old defensive structure. The Untertor was built in 1363 as part of the expansion and fortification of Ravensburg’s lower town and reaches a height of around 36 metres. Until the 19th century, the gate was additionally protected by a town moat, a bridge and an outer gate. Like Ravensburg’s other city gates, it also served an economic function during the Imperial City period, housing a customs station where duties were collected on goods entering and leaving the town. Defensive elements such as the machicolation and the former access to the wooden wall-walk still recall the tower’s original military purpose. Today, the Untertor forms an impressive link between Ravensburg’s medieval past and its modern urban life.