La porte d'Espagne, City gate in Bayonne, France

La porte d'Espagne is a limestone city gate in Bayonne with a drawbridge mechanism positioned at the southern entrance to the fortified town. The structure incorporates multiple defensive layers designed to control the main passage and protect the interior settlement.

The gate stands in the south-west of the fortified walls of Bayonne, in the Petit Bayonne district. It formed part of the town's defensive enclosure and controlled the road towards Spain. The military engineer Vauban modernised the fortifications in the 17th century, reinforcing the gate and its approaches.

The gate's name comes from its position on the road toward Spain, at the south-western edge of the old walls of Bayonne. It stands in the Grand Bayonne quarter, and the street leading to it is still called Rue d'Espagne.

The gate is easily reached by following Rue d'Espagne from the city center. The surrounding area offers good viewpoints, and it is worth exploring the adjacent fortification walls while allowing time to walk around the perimeter.

The gate stands at the south-western edge of the fortified walls and of Grand Bayonne, so it marks the boundary of the old town rather than its centre. Visitors walking the ramparts reach it where the wall turns toward the river.