Morschpoort, Leiden, Medieval city gate in Leiden, Netherlands
Morschpoort is a city gate in Leiden that marks the western entrance to the old town, built in stone with a distinctive octagonal dome on top. The structure shows Mannerist features in its design and stands largely intact today.
The gate was built in 1669 to a design by Willem van der Helm, replacing an earlier wooden structure from 1611. In later centuries it was also used as a prison.
The name of the gate comes from De Morsch, a marshy meadow that once lay just outside the city walls. The surrounding street names still carry traces of this watery past.
The gate stands on Morsstraat and is easy to reach on foot from Leiden city center. It can be seen from the outside at any time, and the surrounding streets are pleasant for a short walk.
Morschpoort is one of only two gates left from the original eight that once stood around Leiden, the other being Zijlpoort. Both still stand in the city and together give a rare sense of what the old defensive ring once looked like.
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