Porta Claudia

A mighty bulwark, the Porta Claudia, was built during the Thirty Years War under the reign of Claudia di Medici and Archduke Leopold as a stronghold between Bavaria and Tirol in the border village of Scharnitz. Situated on a strategic Roman route from Germany leading south to Rome, the Porta Claudia was built to defend Tirol from northern invasion. During the Napoleonic Wars the fortress fought but gave way to an invading French force in 1805. The once mighty bulwark was largely destroyed but some vaults and an imposing ditch still remain. Some of the walls built from rubble with ashlar dressings stand to nearly full height, six meters tall.