City towers

The old town is characterized by a medieval city layout: a checkerboard pattern with gates and towers. Visits to the gate towers are recommended. 

The Dessau Gate Tower, built in 1608, rises in the city’s east. Thanks to its thick walls (1,65 m) and its side length of 8 m, this is the strongest of the three surviving gate towers. A point of interest on its northern side is its “pitch nose” (“Pechnase”; this might have been a “toilet”). The tower is also called “stork tower” (Klapperstorchenturm), as every year a family of storks raises its young here. (Address: Burgstraße 37, accessible by bike, car, public transport, parking available).

The Köthen Gate Tower, built in 1288, received its present form in 1551. Since 1900, clocks embellish its north and south sides. The lower part dates back to the Middle Ages, while the upper parts are later additions in the Renaissance style. (Address: Schützenplatz 1, accessible by bike, car, public transport, parking available).

Built in 1288, the Castle Gate Tower received its present form in 1500. All three towers were renovated between 1994 and 1996, to ensure their survival for centuries to come. (Address: Burgstraße 16, accessible by bike, car, public transport, parking available)