What is this place

Spalentor is the most imposing of Basel’s three surviving city gates, part of the outer fortifications completed around 1400. It stands at the entrance to the Spalen suburb on the former main road to Alsace.

Key features

  • Central tower 40.3 m high with a polychrome tiled roof, flanked by two 28.15 m round turrets with crenellations – a rare fully preserved gate ensemble in Switzerland.
  • Inside the passage you can still see the heavy wooden doors and a fixed portcullis – the medieval defensive hardware.
  • The outer façade carries three 15th-century figures – the Madonna and two prophets – a hallmark of late-medieval decoration.
  • First mentioned 1387, finished c. 1400; it protected Spalenvorstadt and controlled traffic of goods from Alsace.
  • One of three preserved outer gates with St. Alban-Tor and St. Johanns-Tor – emblematic of Basel’s former walls.

What to see

  • The outer sculptural group and the coloured roof tiles of the main tower.
  • The passage with portcullis, doors, slots and loopholes.
  • Street-view perspectives from Spalenvorstadt and Spalenberg amid the Old Town fabric.

History

After the 1356 earthquake, Basel rebuilt and added an outer ring of walls that, for the first time, enclosed the suburbs; Spalentor became one of the seven principal gateways. It is attested in 1387 and was finished around 1400, guarding the route to Alsace.

In 1473–1474 a low fore-gate with a drawbridge was added in front. A storm in 1842 removed the shallow tent roofs of the side towers. During the 19th-century demolition of the walls, three outer gates including Spalentor were retained as city landmarks.

Today it is a protected monument of national significance and one of Basel’s signature silhouettes.

Practical information

Location: Spalenvorstadt, 4056 Basel; upper Old Town near Spalenberg and Petersgraben.

Getting there: Tram 3 to Spalentor; from Marktplatz it’s an 8–10-minute uphill walk via Spalenberg. From Basel SBB take bus 30 to Spalentor.

Access: Free, 24/7 outdoor site; the archway is pedestrian-only. Traffic around the junction is busy – use crossings.

Visiting hours: 24/7.

Visit duration: 10–20 minutes.

Best time: Morning or golden hour for façade light; evening illumination is photogenic.

Notes: Interiors are not open to visitors; stone paving can be slippery when wet.