Laurinc Gate, Medieval gate site in Old Town, Bratislava, Slovakia

Laurinc Gate was a medieval entrance to Bratislava's Old Town, now marked by a hanging portcullis installation at the site. This symbolic gate structure shows where the original defensive gate once stood and controlled access to the historical city center.

Laurinc Gate was built in the second half of the 13th century together with the oldest parts of Bratislava's city walls. It is first mentioned in documents in 1412. In the 15th century, a barbican with a sharp bend was added to block direct attacks. The gate was demolished in 1778 during the removal of the city fortifications.

The gate takes its name from Saint Lawrence, patron of travelers, and a church dedicated to him once stood at this location until the 1500s. This religious connection shaped how local people viewed and used this entrance to their city.

The site has information plaques that explain the history and importance of the former gate in medieval Bratislava. You can easily find the location and see the hanging gate installation marking the entrance to the Old Town.

The gate's moat always held water, unlike the sometimes dry ditch at Michael's Gate, because it lay near the Danube and at the mouth of a stream from the Little Carpathians. In the 15th century a barbakán with a sharp bend was added; its trace survives as the curve of Laurinská Street.