Porte St. Alban, St. Alban Tor

Dating back to around 1400, the Porte St. Alban (St.Alban’s Gate, St. Alban Tor) is the entrance of a beautiful neighborhood within the medieval walled city of Basel.

The ancient city gate still has a massive wooden door and paling that were lowered during times of peril. The St. Alban neighborhood of the city is like stepping back in time to the Middle Ages, with its tiny, twisting lanes and antique buildings. The Porte St. Alban also called the “Dalbedoor,” serves as the neighborhood’s entrance.

In 1230, the St. Alban’s Gate had its first appearance in written history. After suffering damage in the 1356 earthquake that struck Basel, the complex was restored beginning in the following year. It is also referenced directly in a watch order in 1374, the year of completion, this time as a tower that the citizens would have to monitor rather than a city gate. The “sant Albansthor” does not appear in a list of weaponry until 1387.

The federal government and the Christoph Merian Foundation helped restore the St. Alban Gate to its former glory in 1975. The little balcony on the field side has been demolished, and the oriel that protruded from the machicolation two stories up has been rebuilt.

The second floor features a reproduction of the ramming pile system’s traction and suspension component, a wooden gate, and ramming piles from the late 16th century. Subtle dials were installed on three sides of the tower, while the machicolation oriel was re-erected in its original spot on the field side.

This allowed access to the two city-facing windows that had been sealed off. The staircase and police post have been preserved because they are attractive examples of the period’s architecture. Basel-Stadt, the city where the St. Alban Gate is located, is the gate’s owner.