Wood Tower, Medieval watchtower in Mainz, Germany.
The Wood Tower is a medieval watchtower in Mainz with six stories and a steep hipped roof. It displays Gothic features such as pointed-arch windows that are typical of 15th-century construction.
The structure was built in the first half of the 15th century as part of the city's defensive system. For centuries it served as both a watchtower and a prison before being repurposed in the early 1800s.
The tower displays decorative busts of notable figures above the first-floor windows, showing a merchant with his wife and a ruler with his queen. These sculptures reveal how people of different ranks were valued in medieval times.
The tower is located near the Rhine River and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should know that the interior is tight and climbing the stairs can be demanding.
The tower's name comes from a wood market that once operated at its gate and timber that traveled down the Rhine from southern Germany. This connection shows how closely the structure was tied to the city's trade.
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