Ponttor

The Ponttor in Aachen is the western of the two surviving northern gates of the former outer city wall. It was built at the start of the 14th century, when a second line of fortifications became necessary. The rectangular, three-story gatehouse is built from various types of sandstone and quartzite. Defensive features such as a portcullis, a machicolation, and a crenellated bridge passage with a barbican bear witness to its military past. The name does not come from a bridge in the immediate vicinity, but from the Pont quarter, which owed its name to a Roman bridge. Today the historic building serves as a home for several scout groups and the Deutsche Jungenschaft Aachen.