Porta Westfalica

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Coordinates: 52°13′N, 8°56′E

Porta Westfalica
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Administrative region	Detmold
District	Minden-Lübbecke
Population	37,968 (2003)
Area	105 km²
Population density	345 /km²
Elevation	46-303 m
Coordinates	52°13′ N 8°56′ E
Postal code	32457
Area code	0571, 05706, 05722, 05731, 05751
Licence plate code	MI
Mayor	Stephan Böhme (SPD)
Website	porta-westfalica.de

Porta Westfalica is a town in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, near the Porta Westfalica gorge, where the river runs through the passage between the mountain chains of the Wiehengebirge in the west and the Weserbergland in the east.

Porta Westfalica was established in 1973 by merging fifteen villages surrounding the gorge. It has a population of 38,500. The centre of the modern town is the former village of Hausberge, which was first mentioned in 1096.

The name "Porta Westfalica" is Latin and means "gate to Westphalia". Coming from the north, the gorge is the entry to the region of Westphalia. Despite the Latin name the term was not coined in Roman times, but by scholars of the 19th century.

[edit] Buildings and structures

• Jakobsberg Telecommunication Tower, a TV tower with an observation deck.
• www.barkhausen-porta.de = the village with the "Kaiser-Wilhelm"-Monument in Porta Westfalica