Description of the attraction
The architectural emblem of the city of Krems is the Steiner Tor fortress gate. In the Middle Ages, there were four such gates. Only Steiner Thor has survived to this day. The gate was created in a defensive wall that reliably protected Krems from enemy attacks. In the 19th century, the need for such a wall disappeared, the city began to actively develop and expand, so the city fortifications were gradually dismantled. Thus, three city gates were destroyed, through which a traveler in past centuries could have entered the city. The surviving Steiner Thor gate now serves as a decorative function. They were built at the end of the 15th century.
In 2005, when Krems celebrated the 700th anniversary of obtaining city rights, the Steiner Thor was renovated and is now a popular city attraction. When restoring the city gates, restorers used old drawings, so we can say that modern travelers see the gates as they appeared to travelers in the Middle Ages.
The gate consists of a through high tower, which is framed by smaller turrets. The lower floor of the gate and the flanking towers date from the late Middle Ages. To the right of the arched passage can be seen a small stone coat of arms dating from 1480. The Steiner Thor gate was badly damaged during the attack of the Hungarian army on Krems. It is believed that the restoration of this fortification took place much later than this event - during the reign of Maria Theresa, that is, in the Baroque era.
Steiner Thor, erected on the banks of the Danube, were initially threatened by flooding. Nowadays, you can see a commemorative plaque on the gate, which says about the flood of 1573, when part of the gate was hidden by the waters of the Danube.
