City walls

Today, the City Walls of Bratislava are only a short section along Staromiejska Street. It includes the Michalska Gate and two towers, Bird and North West. The medieval walls are about one and a half meters thick. They give an idea of how solidly Bratislava was defended in the past.

The city walls were built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Entrance to the city was also protected by three gates, of which only the Michalska Gate has survived to our times. The last time the walls fulfilled their task in the 16th century, when they defended the city against the Turks. Over time, they became less and less adapted to the changing military technique. In the years 1775-1778, the Empress Maria Teresa ordered their demolition.

Thus, the suburbs of Bratislava were connected to the Old Town. The moat was filled in, and houses stood on the site of the walls and streets were marked out. Only a section of the walls remained in the vicinity of the Michalska Gate. At the beginning of the 21st century, the remains of Wawrzyniec Gate and Rybna Gate were unveiled.