Lotrščak Tower and Grič cannon – Old Zagreb sightseeing tour

One of the Old Zagreb sightseeing tour starting point and sightseeing attraction is the Lotrščak Tower and Grič Canon.

The Lotrščak Tower (Croatian: Kula Lotrščak, pronounced [kǔːla lotrʃtʃâːk]) is a fortified tower located in Zagreb, Croatia, in an old part of town called Gradec or Gornji grad (Upper Town). The tower, which dates to the 13th century, was built to guard the southern gate of the Gradec town wall. The name is derived from Latin campana latrunculorum, meaning “thieves’ bell”, referring to a bell hung in the tower in 1646 to signal the closing of the town gates.

Built to guard the southern gate of the Gradec town wall, the Lotrščak Tower (Kula Lotrščak) dates to the 13th century and has long been one of Zagreb’s most recognizable landmarks. Legend has it that this large, square Romanesque tower once held a bell that rang out each night prior to the closing of the gates to warn residents outside the walls to return (anyone left outside would have to remain there for the night). In the 19th century, a fourth floor and windows were added to the tower and a cannon placed on its roof, which has since been fired every day at noon. Visitors can climb the tower for stunning views over the city and visit its exhibition gallery and gift shops.

If in Zagreb you hear the blast of cannon fire, fear not, it simply means it’s midday. This auditory onslaught is not an elaborate pigeon-scaring scheme. According to one legend, a cannon shot from the Lotrščak tower soared over the river Sava and landed in the Turks’ encampment, right on a platter of chicken that was being carried to the Pasha for his lunch. The Pasha decided against attacking a city of fearsome sharpshooters so Zagreb escaped invasion. Since this ace shot was fired at noon, a cannon has been fired at that time from the same tower ever since. Sited in the Upper Town, the tower originally was part of the city’s defences, and later served as a prison. Nowadays, it houses a gallery and an art shop, and the view from the top is well worth the climb.