St Mary's Gate and Potters' Gate in Malbork

Of the entire ring of Malbork's medieval town walls, only two gates survive: St Mary's Gate and the Potters' Gate. Both are Gothic towers from the second half of the 14th century that came through sieges, fires, the French and the fighting of 1945. They stand about 250 metres apart, so you can see both on one short walk. They complement a castle visit nicely, showing that a separate fortified town once stood below the Teutonic stronghold.

St Mary's Gate – the southern entrance

St Mary's Gate, also known as the Sztum Gate or Ferry Gate (German: Marientor), stands on the southern edge of the old town, on Trakt Jana Pawła II. According to the city's Visit Malbork website, it was part of the defensive system that controlled access to the town from the south. In front of it there was once an outer gate with a chapel; its ruins were removed in 1807 by the occupying French, who were then dismantling the medieval fortifications.

In 1838 a fire destroyed the roof. It was replaced by a half-timbered superstructure, and in 1936–1937 the gate was given a hipped roof with ceramic tiles designed by Paul Dombert. In 1945 the tower burned and its walls were pockmarked by shells. It was rebuilt in 1964, without the historic superstructure or the 1930s roof. A café opened inside in the 1970s, another fire gutted the interior in the 1980s, and today it houses a pub. During the 1936–1937 remodelling the clock was set into the decorative battlements.

Potters' Gate – the tower on the east side

The Potters' Gate (German: Töpfertor), also called the Elbląg Gate or Holy Spirit Gate, likewise dates from the second half of the 14th century and guarded the eastern entrance. It is a five-storey rectangular brick building with three pointed-arch passages, set into the line of walls around the old town. In the 1930s it housed a youth hostel. It was partly damaged in 1945 and repaired ten years later. Next to it stood the Holy Spirit Hospital, demolished by French troops in 1807.

Did you know?

• St Mary's Gate has been on the heritage register since 1948, the Potters' Gate since 1962.
• Apart from the gates, all that remains of Gothic Malbork's old town are the town hall, the parish church, fragments of the walls and the walls of the Latin School.

Tripto tips

• You see the gates from outside, free of charge, at any time. Neither is a museum.
• 15–20 minutes is enough for both, on flat urban ground that is fine with a pushchair.
• A good route: castle – St John's Church – town hall – St Mary's Gate – Potters' Gate.
• There is a car park in the paid parking zone by the Potters' Tower: Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00, PLN 1 for half an hour, PLN 2 per hour (as of October 2026).
• Malbork is on the Gdańsk–Warsaw railway line, and the gates are within walking distance of the station.