The Porte des Allemands, the Germans' Gate, is a small castle standing across the river Seille on the eastern edge of central Metz. It is both a city gate and a fortified bridge: two gates of different ages, joined by a covered crossing, with round towers rising straight out of the water. It is the most impressive surviving piece of the walls that once ringed medieval Metz, and despite its name it has nothing to do with a German army.
Porte des Allemands at a glance
- Where: on the Seille at the end of Rue des Allemands, on the eastern side of the old town, beside Boulevard André-Maginot.
- Built: begun in 1230, enlarged in the 1440s, with the bridge fortified between 1480 and the mid-16th century.
- What it is today: a listed historic monument since 1966, open to visitors, used for exhibitions and the starting point of a trail along the old ramparts.
- Time needed: 15–20 minutes outside, around 45 minutes if you go in.
Seven centuries of walls
The gate takes its name from the Teutonic Knights, known in Metz as the Hospitaller Brothers of Notre-Dame-des-Allemands, who ran a hospital nearby from the 13th century. The first gate, built from 1230 on the town side, had two slim round towers. In the 15th century a much stronger gate with two massive towers was added on the far bank, built to resist cannon, and an inscription names the master builder Henri de Ranconval. Between about 1480 and 1550 the bridge between the two gates was fortified, turning the whole complex into a castle-bridge.
In 1552 the Emperor Charles V besieged Metz, which had just come under French control; the city held out, but the Teutonic Knights' hospital was destroyed. Under German rule after 1871 the gate was restored in a romantic medieval style, with neo-Gothic crenellations added by the architect Paul Tornow. The City of Metz bought it in 1900 and used part of it as a museum until 1918. In 1944 the old bridge beside it was destroyed, and the road bridge you see today was rebuilt a little further along.
What to look for
- The two big round towers on the outer side, facing the boulevard: the 15th-century artillery gate, with walls about three and a half metres thick.
- The older town-side gate, where the stumps of the 13th-century arch between the two slender towers are still visible.
- The covered bridge over the Seille between the two gates, with its overhanging lookout posts and small corner turrets.
- The inscriptions naming the builders, including Henri de Ranconval in 1445 and Philippe d'Esch, who built the wide vaults in 1529.
- The crenellations along the top: they look medieval but mostly date from the German restoration of the 1890s.
Why 'Germans' Gate'?
Visitors often assume the name recalls the German annexation of Metz between 1871 and 1918, or the wars that followed. In fact it is centuries older. The 'Germans' were the Teutonic Order, a crusading order of German knights whose hospital stood near this gate in the Middle Ages. The name outlasted the hospital, which disappeared in the siege of 1552, and it was in use long before Metz itself became German.
Tips for your visit
- Walk round to the boulevard side for the classic view of the two big towers rising from the water.
- Come in the late afternoon or after dark, when the gate is lit and reflected in the Seille.
- Climb up inside if it is open: the walkways give views along the river and over the old town roofs.
- Ask at the gate about the ramparts trail, which starts here and follows the remains of the medieval walls.
Nearby
- Cathedral of Saint-Étienne: Metz's Gothic cathedral, famous for its huge areas of stained glass, from medieval windows to works by Marc Chagall.
- Place Saint-Louis: a long square lined with medieval arcades, once used by the city's money changers.
- Temple Neuf: the Protestant church built during the German period on an island in the Moselle, one of the best views in the city.
- Ramparts walk: what remains of the old walls south of the gate, best followed on the trail that starts at the Porte des Allemands.
See Metz with World City Trail
Our Metz scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 47 minutes of walking. The Porte des Allemands is one of the stops, along with the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne and the Temple Neuf.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Metz.
Play the Metz scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Metz →
Play the outdoor escape game in Metz →
Facts checked in October 2026.