The Karlsruher Gate is one of the main gates in North-South direction of the erstwhile fortress of the German Confederation (1842 – 1890). It is adorned with new gothic crenellations and turrets. A few meters away from this is the entrance to the casemates of “Bastion 27”.
This is a site that was previously equipped with crenels for guarding of the moat. Together with the Kehler Gate at the South exit, the Karlsruher Gate is one of two of the preserved remaining gates of the fortress of the German Confederation. The trip there and back extends the walking time of the Historical Route by about 15 minutes.
Children discover Rastatt:
At the time of the fortress, Rastatt was a fortress city with five gates, two main gates and three side gates. Persons that wanted to enter or pass through the city and goods were inspected at the guarded gates.
Taxes or route tolls were collected for the goods as entrance fee. The city gates were closed during the nighttime and anybody arriving after the closing had to wait in front of the gate until the next morning. Important visitors could gain entry through one of the side doors.
There was a particularly large amount of traffic on market days. Many farmers wanted to sell vegetables, grains and fruits. They would arrive early in the mornings with their carts. Merchants with other goods would only be allowed to go to the market if the goods they wanted to sell were not already available at the market. This was to protect the Rastatt merchants from competition.
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