Paulustor

The outer Paulustor at the northern edge of the old town is the only preserved city gate of Graz. It was built around 1620 as part of the new fortifications that connected the Schlossberg with the city, and it features stone relief coats of arms of Archduke Ferdinand – the later Emperor Ferdinand II. – and his wife Maria Anna von Bayern on its outer side. Through the mighty rusticated portal, travelers, merchants, and soldiers once entered the city; the other city gates fell victim to urban expansion in the 19th century. Right at the gate begins Paulustorgasse with the Volkskundemuseum and the Antoniuskirche, behind which the Schlossberg rises. Those cycling from Karmeliterplatz towards Geidorf pass the historic gate – the stone testimony of the fortress city is definitely worth a brief stop.