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Fire Tower - Sopron
Ursuline Church (Sopron, Hungary)
Templon utca (Sopron, Hungary)
Firewatch Tower (Sopron, Hungary)The Fire Tower - Symbol of Sopron
The Fire Tower ( Fo ter ) is the actual tower which gives its name to the square below it. I was a bit mystified about the importance of this Fire Tower until I got back home and read about the great fire of 1676 which destroyed most of the town and almost all of its medieval buildings. So this tower, which had originally been the north tower on the old city walls, was re-built and played the vital function of lookout tower to warn of potential invaders approaching the town and to spot any dangers, fire included. The tower guards were hugely important in the life of the town and sounded their trumpets every quarter ofan hour from the balcony. In 1622 Queen Elizabeth's coronation took place in Sopron and King Ferdinand 11 gave the town a double-headed eagle as a gift .This eagle is now at the top of the tower.
It's possible to visit the tower and (if you have the energy) to climb 200 steps and enjoy the view from the balcony. Looking up at this balcony it's really easy to imagine the guards blowing their trumpets and flags fluttering behind them. The Fire Tower really is special and it's quite unusual to have such a building, rather than a castle or cathedral, the main focus of the town. This is one of the reasons that makes Sopron different and worth visiting.
