The Lions gate and its drawbridge were the last ramparts faced by the attackers before reaching the lodgings of the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle. Above the door, a machicolation allowed pouring boiling oil on the soldiers below. The drawbridge spanned a 40 ft deep ditch (12 m), pivoting on an axis. The counterweight mechanism still stands behind the door. Above it, two lions surround a coat of arms believed to be the Thierstein family's, although slightly different from theirs.