Torturm

Torturm stands within Veste Oberhaus, the fortress above Passau where three rivers meet. The hilltop complex has shaped the city skyline for eight centuries. Round walls, narrow openings and heavy stone show the defensive purpose of this medieval architecture. The tower marks the entrance to the outer courtyard, where approaching visitors once reached the fortress’s first protected area.

Built as an addition in the fourteenth century, Torturm strengthened access control along the outer defences. Its circular form helped deflect projectiles and resisted undermining better than square towers. Veste Oberhaus began in the early thirteenth century and expanded as military needs changed. Later rebuilding and restoration preserved a structure that now belongs to a cultural heritage monument, alongside other towers and walls. Look closely at the narrow openings: they allowed surveillance and offered positions from which defenders could fire.