Karlstor (Munich)

Karlstor in Munich (called Neuhauser Tor until 1791) is a medieval city gate, which served as a defensive fortification and a checkpoint.

It is located at the western end of Neuhauser Straße, a portion of Munich's down-town pedestrian zone, which was part of the salt road and the east–west thoroughfare of the historic old town. Thus it separates the historic centre from a 19th-century extension called Ludwigvorstadt (Vorstadt meaning 'suburb'). Karlstor receives its name from Karlsplatz (better known under its local nickname "Stachus"), which is now part of the Altstadtring circular road and has been one of the busiest points of Munich for centuries.

The building is the westernmost of three remaining gothic town gates out of originally five. The other two are Isartor in the east (the only one that is still complete in its basic structure) and Sendlinger Tor in the southwest. Missing nowadays, after the whole fortification system had to be laid down on prince-electoral order at the turn of the 19th century, are Angertor in the south and Schwabinger Tor in the north, as well as all "minor" or side gates and the entire double walls.

Text adapted from “Karlstor” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Karlstor (Munich) ranks #1,860 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #141 of the 505 mapped in Germany. Founded c. 1300, it is older than 63% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 860 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 2,014 times in the last 60 days, more than 67% of the atlas. 13 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Munich, 1 km away. See how Germany compares in the castle statistics.

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