Goslarer Zwinger as a 3D tour

The Zwinger in Goslar is a massive round tower of the old town fortifications on the southern edge of the historic centre. It was built in 1517 on the Thomaswall; carved stones bearing the arms of the Holy Roman Empire and of the town of Goslar, together with an inscription giving the date, still record the year of construction. The 3D tour lets you step inside the defensive tower virtually.

The tower guarded the town on the side facing the nearby Rammelsberg — a chronicle of 1546 explicitly names the protection of the mountain as its purpose. It was built of sandstone from the Sudmerberg, with walls some six metres thick at the base and a height of about 20 metres. The heritage register still lists it as the “Dicker Zwinger”, literally the “thick Zwinger”.

In 1791 the tower escaped demolition because it was incorporated into the new “Bürgerwall” rampart: gun ports became windows, and the upper gun decks were turned into halls and rooms. Its tall conical roof was removed in 1857. Privately owned since 1936, the Zwinger now houses holiday apartments and a museum.