Romans' Northern Gate

The Roman North Gate of Cologne, the Porta Claudia, rises as a segmented stretch of ancient limestone masonry embedded directly into the city walls. Originally constructed in the first century, the gate served as the primary entrance for travelers arriving from the north along the Rhine. Centuries later, in the mid-twentieth century, crews excavating for an air-raid shelter rediscovered the foundations. They found the massive stones still bearing the heavy, weathered scars of carriages that rolled through the city nearly two thousand years ago.