Dinkelsbühl Town Fortification-Wörnitz Gate

The city fortifications of Dinkelsbühl are a completely preserved ring wall with a length of 2.5 km, 4 large gates, and 16 towers.

The first almost circular fortification from the early 13th century is still discernible in today's street layout, but only remains are preserved near the Wörnitz Gate. From 1372, in connection with an expansion of the city area, the new construction of the fortification ring began, which still exists almost unchanged today. Work continued until the Thirty Years' War with a total of 55 towers and gates. It consists of a closed ring wall with four inner city gates, four outer city gates that have since disappeared, once 22 individually designed watchtowers, 18 Zwinger (outer bailey) stands and bastions of the inner city wall, further ones on the outer city wall, as well as a moat and lined rampart. Unique is the Stadtmühle Dinkelsbühl (city mill), integrated into the fortifications as a fortified mill.

The city wall consists of continuous masonry of rough ashlar blocks 5 to 6 m high up to the height of the battlements of the wall walk after 1372. In the early 19th century, the wall walk was largely removed and covered with plain tiles. On both sides of the Wörnitz Gate, the city wall features Romanesque bossed ashlar blocks from around 1230. The city wall is equipped with loopholes, covered wall walks, and keyhole embrasures. The Zwinger (outer bailey) system is preserved; in the western section, no Zwinger was built due to the moats and mill race.