Schnetztor

Schnetztor stands in Constance, Germany, as a medieval city gate beside the historic old town and Lake Constance. Construction began around 1388 during the city’s strengthening of its fortifications.

Its Gothic design centres on a tower about 36 metres high, flanked by smaller towers with pointed roofs. The gate once controlled entry and supported the city’s defence.

Original wall paintings survive inside, while the exterior remains visible from the public street. Later, the building housed prison cells and storage rooms as its defensive role declined.

Public protest helped preserve Schnetztor when comparable German gates faced demolition during nineteenth-century urban development. The gatehouse retains its historic form in the centre of Constance.

Narrow streets, historic buildings, shops, cafés and restaurants surround this architectural landmark. The nearby Bodensee adds water views to the old town setting.

Constance Cathedral and the Rosgarten Museum provide further points of historical interest close to the gate. Schnetztor also recalls the civic life of a fortified town, from guarded entrances to trade and punishment.

Its name refers to executions once carried out at town gates, adding a difficult layer to its history. The gate connects medieval architecture with the living streets of Constance’s old town.