City gate, city tower, city jewel
The Altpörtel was Speyer's western city gate and part of the medieval fortifications, which included 68 wall and gate towers. It forms the end of Maximilianstraße opposite the cathedral.
Construction began in 1230, and 300 years later the top floor of the tower was added with its late Gothic tracery parapet and the arcade arches of the gallery. The steep roof with the lantern dates from 1708.
At 55 metres, it is one of the tallest and most important city gates in Germany. The side facing the city is richly structured, while the embrasures on the west side indicate the tower's defensive function.
The tower clock
There are two clock faces on each of the east and west sides of the Altpörtel. The hands on the large clock faces show the hour, while the hands on the small clock faces show the quarter hours.
In the past, the hour was the most important time indication. That is why the dials that show the full hours are considerably larger than the dials that ‘only’ show the quarter hours. In addition, the hour dial on the side facing away from the city is larger so that travellers could see the time from a distance.
The Speyer standard measure
On the side of the Altpörtel street passage facing away from the city, an iron bracket is attached to the left of the archway. It represents the Speyer standard measure, the 28 cm high so-called Speyer standard shoe, which was the measure of all things for every trader in Speyer. Due to fortunate circumstances, the tower survived the destruction of the city in 1689 and thus remained one of the few remnants of the medieval city fortifications.
In earlier times, the Altpörtel also served as a prison. The dungeon is integrated into the southern archway. It is a bare room with no daylight.
Unfortunately, the Altpörtel is closed to the public for an indefinite period due to necessary fire safety measures.