Peter's Gate

The magnificent baroque Peterstor (Peter's Gate) has stood at the main entrance to the citadel since the first years of construction (from 1665). It is adorned by the large coat of arms of the Archbishop of Mainz, Elector and builder of the fortress Johann Philipp von Schönborn (1605-1673). The lower level within the main rampart is the gatehouse. Here there are casemates, i.e. bomb-proof, vaulted rooms surrounded by metre-thick walls for guards and guns. For defence purposes, the gatehouse has two portcullis in the 20-metre-long passageway and was also secured with a drawbridge until 1874. In 1671 the gatehouse was overbuilt with the commandant's house as an additional floor.