Aul

The Aul is the last surviving watchtower of Zwingenberg’s medieval town wall, standing on a quiet street in the Bergstraße wine region. Built of rough-hewn stone, the two-storey tower rises beside a restored stretch of curtain wall. Its steep tiled roof is crowned by a small iron ball and pierced with tiny dormers under round arches. Two sandstone-framed doorways, one above the other, punctuate the south face, dated 1353 and 1532. The tower’s origins lie in the 14th century, when Zwingenberg fortified itself against raids along the Bergstraße. In 1818 a wide arch replaced a narrow wicket gate in the adjacent wall, opening the route to heavier traffic. After centuries of use as a lookout and storehouse, the Aul was last repaired in 1979 and placed under state protection. Visitors find the tower locked but can walk the remaining metres of wall and peer through the arch. The surrounding street is lined with half-timbered houses and vineyards, giving a sense of the medieval town’s layout. From the pavement the tower’s sandstone doorframes and the roof’s iron finial are clearly visible.