In 1344 the construction of the city wall was started, which was already completed around 1400. The city was now surrounded by a defensive wall with 16 towers. Four of the towers were destroyed by the French in 1689. In the 19th century, under the influence of Napoleonic laws, the thoroughfare (today Oberstraße) was widened by setting back the houses, which resulted in the removal of two more towers. The Bacharach town fortification is today one of the best preserved in the Rhineland. The towers on the banks of the Rhine are connected by a covered walkway, which invites you to take a stroll and which used to be a connecting path between the houses on the Rhine side during high water. Since 2007, the newly laid out city wall walkway leads along the city wall around the city. A walk along the old towers and walls is an experience in itself. The historical cast-iron high-water marks document the high-water levels of the years 1882 to 1988. They are located in Zollstraße and are attached to the Rhine-side corner of the railroad underpass.