Heuturm (Hay Tower) / Wachtturm (Watchtower), Lucerne

The Heuturm (Hay Tower) originally stood on the site of today's Wachtturm (Watchtower) since 1350. It was named so for being a hay storage, but 鈥� just as many other Lucerne's towers, back in the day 鈥� was also used to store gunpowder.

The latter proved fatal for the building on July 30, 1701, when a strike of lightning caused detonation of the 350 quintals of the explosive inside, completely destroying the thick walls. A rain of stones sent over the city inflicted immense damage on the adjacent wall and houses in the Old Town, and killed many locals.

Immediately after the accident, a new tower was built in the place. Designed for high watch, it only got the name in 1768, when a guardroom from the nearby Luegislandturm was moved here and the complicated roof structure added. The guardroom, fitted with a green tiled stove, remained in use until 1895 and can be visited today, along with corridors to the roof. At a later time, the police radio transmitter was installed within the tower.

The rebuilt Wachtturm is 44 meters tall, measuring 8.75 x 7.1 meters in footprint.

Some of its sections are open to the public.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Lucerne. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Heuturm (Hay Tower) / Wachtturm (Watchtower)
Sight Location: Lucerne, Switzerland (See walking tours in Lucerne)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Lucerne's Towers Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Lucerne, Switzerland

Create Your Own Walk in Lucerne

Creating your own self-guided walk in Lucerne is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Lucerne's Architectural Jewels Walking Tour

Lucerne's long religious and cultural history is duly reflected in its architecture, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Switzerland. There are quite a few places in the city that need not strive for attention and can easily catch the eye of any passer-by. Such like are:

The Lucerne Railway Station 鈥� an architectural jewel and main hub of the Swiss railway network,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles

Lucerne's Towers Walking Tour

Lucerne boasts a wealth of spectacular medieval towers, located in the Musegg Wall area. This former symbol of power forms an impressive city crown, shaping up its skyline, and affording great panoramic views of Lucerne and the eponymous lake, the Reuss river, and the surrounding mountain scenery.

Built in the 13th-14th centuries, the 870-meter wall, complete with its nine towers, is one of... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles

Lucerne Introduction Walking Tour

Renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture surpassed by majestic snowcapped Alps, Lucerne is one of the prettiest cities in Switzerland. Sitting compactly on the shore of the eponymous lake, its colorful Altstadt (Old Town) is bordered on the north by a 14-century rampart called Museggmauer (Musegg Wall).

The town grew around St Leodegar Abbey, established in 840 AD, on the territory... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles

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