Two old city gates form the entrance to the historic city centre, the Benschopperpoort and the IJsselpoort.
At the IJsselpoort, the Utrechters and the Dutch have clashed in battle. A stone with an inscription has been bricked into the wall to commemorate this battle in 1482.
Silence Utrecht with your toes and horns
Do uyt two lions and set two hares
For when those from IJsselstein came into the field
Have those from Utrecht 't put on a run.
The Utrechters wanted to take the city and raze it to the ground. However, the fortress with its gatehouse and an outer bailey with a large keep proved impregnable and the Utrechters chose to run away. For a while thereafter, maintenance of the defences had lower priority, but in 1854, the present IJsselpoort was rebuilt by Utrecht architect Cristaan Kramm. Monastery bricks were used for the wall and on both sides the gate is crowned with little lions.
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