GERMAN DOOR
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An impressive and remarkable gate with two towers, the strongest symbol of the medieval past of the city of Metz, to discover.
Impressive and remarkable, the German Gate is one of the eighteen gates of the city. Its construction began in 1220 with the erection of two towers and a very narrow gate. It owes its name to the knights of the Teutonic Order, or Hospitaller Brothers of Our Lady of the Germans, who founded a hospital nearby in the 13th century. In 1445, two additional towers were built to defend the entrance to the bridge over the Seille. The structure was consolidated after the siege of Metz by Charles V in 1552. Today, it is one of the surviving vestiges of the medieval era. Since June 2014, the gate finally opens its doors to the public! Remarkably restored, it is the subject of fun and temporary exhibitions. Its double spiral staircase is one of the jewels not to be missed! You can go up and down it, without ever crossing paths! Nevertheless, some rooms remain closed for security reasons. Its imposing appearance and its ramparts have made the German Gate a formidable defensive instrument. Finally, it is made of two local materials: a bluish limestone extracted from the Meuse quarries and the famous Jaumont stone, which gives it its characteristic ochre color. In 1870, Metz was the most fortified city in Europe. The fortifications, nearly 1,200 meters long, were a military asset that Vauban and Cormontaigne considered appropriate even in their time. Exhibitions, concerts and other events are regularly organized.
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