Michael's+Gate

Michael's Gate (Michalska Brana)

Michael's Gate is located in Bratislava, Slovakia. In medieval times the town was surrounded by two rings of city walls, two bastions, a barbican, a falling bridge over a moat, and was heavily fortified. The only way in and out of the town was through four gates. Michael’s gate is the only one remaining. It is one of the oldest buildings in Bratislava. The gate was built in the early thirteen hundreds and the first written record of it is from 1411. The entrance was similar to what we would see in classic movies, it was a drawbridge over a moat with a portcullis (iron grate) and a large wooden door. Later the drawbridge was replaced with a wooden bridge, and then a brick one. The brick one known as Michael’s bridge was built in 1727 and is still there. It is the oldest bridge in the city. This area also contains a stretch of the Bratislava Moat which has been made accessible to the public. The Gates main tower was built from 1529-1534. It was then rebuilt from 1753-1758 and included the addition of the St. Michael statue on top. Today Michael’s gate is one of Bratislava’s most recognizable tourist attractions. Michael’s Gate is now a weapons museum. The gate tower is 51 meters (167ft) tall and has seven floors. By Brandon Driscoll