Haut-Koenigsbourg's great bastion recalls the primary function of the castle to monitor and control the surrounding valleys. From the lower courtyard, a ramp leads to the apartments. Five heavy iron doors and a ditch dug in the rock are still to be crossed before reaching the principal building. This route obliged the attackers to advance under the arrow slits on the ramps. Wide enough to slide an arquebus in the rounded lower part, they also protected the shooter. The cross shape at their top made it possible to have a better external vision.