Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse – How to Open the Gate in Brauner’s Atelier

Quick answer: Stand directly beneath the bronze wall gear, face left, and repeatedly slash with a sword. It turns gold, opening the entrance to the statue chamber.

Where the gear is

Inside Dracula’s castle, Brauner’s Atelier is in the Main Hall. From the Grand Hall’s upper level, take the way on the left to reach it. The “BRAUNER’S ATELIER” banner appears upon entry.

Go down to the corridor on the lower floor, where a red carpet runs along the passage. At the far-left end, a bronze gear is mounted in the wall. A gate next to it bars the leftward route to a large cracked stone statue.

Rose walking along the gothic corridor of Brauner's Atelier beneath the large bronze wall gear — The lower corridor of Brauner’s Atelier, with the bronze gear mounted in the wall.

How to turn the gear

On PC, use Esc > Equipment > Armoury to equip a sword, such as the Longsword. A spear won’t work: its straight thrust goes beneath the gear, leaving it stationary.

Walk to the left end of the corridor and stand directly under the gear. Face left, toward the gate.

Rose standing right below the ornate circular wall gear in a green-lit castle corridor — Standing directly under the gear before attacking.

Press attack repeatedly, chaining the slashes quickly with no pauses. Each swing maintains the gear’s spin.

Rose swinging a glowing sword upward at the large central gear to keep it spinning — Slashing at the gear without stopping keeps it turning.

Keep attacking until the gear lights up gold. That glow means it worked, and the gate next to the gear opens at the same moment.

Why the gear keeps turning back

The gear only stays turned under constant pressure. If it rocks a little and settles back into place, one of these is usually the cause:

A single hit, or a few hits with pauses between them, only turns it slightly before it resets.
Interact, the whip, spells and thrown weapons do not turn it.
A spear’s straight thrust goes under the gear instead of hitting it.
Sliding toward it from the right and slashing puts you beneath the gear, too low to hit it properly.
A strike from the left while facing right gives the gear only a small nudge.

What is behind the gate

Walk left through the open gate into the statue chamber. A short conversation starts as you enter, with Rose asking Medusa “What do you know about this Brauner?”

Dialogue box with Rose asking Medusa what she knows about Brauner inside the statue chamber — Rose asks Medusa about Brauner on entering the statue chamber.

Medusa answers: “Dracula’s court painter. He claims his techniques can capture anything. He’s vastly over-rated.” Rose replies: “Hmm, sounds like someone worth meeting.”

A note is attached to the enormous chained statue in the chamber. Stand beside it and press Interact (E) to read it. This note serves as one clue for The Artist; the full text of both letters here is in our clue locations guide.

Rose beside the cracked chained statue with the Interact E prompt showing — The Interact prompt at the chained statue, where the note for The Artist is found.

Before you leave, check the raised desk in the same chamber. It holds a second letter, which is a clue for The Occultist.