The first mention of Riquewihr dates from 1094. The village was then a possession of the counts of Horbourg, who built the first fortified enclosure in 1291. Two doors with a drawbridge guarded the entrance. The Dolder door was surmounted by a tower 82 ft tall (25 m) over four floors. In the event of danger, two leaves and a harrow could close the passage. The steeple's bell served as an alarm signal warning about an enemy approach from the plain. The town guardian lived there and was in charge of ringing it.