The Sopron Fire Tower

The Fire Tower stands on the north gate of Sopron's inner town and reads like a section through the town's history. A square base sits on Roman wall footings, a cylindrical medieval drum rises above it, and the top is baroque, with an arcaded balcony and an onion dome added after the fire of 1676. Watchmen lived up there, sounded the hours and raised the alarm for fires, and a trumpeter still appears on occasion. Underneath, an arched passage known as the Gate of Loyalty leads through into Fo Square. The climb is by stone spiral stairs to the balcony, which runs right around and looks over the horseshoe of the old town, its tiled roofs and the hills beyond.

What you actually see

• The three periods - Roman footings, medieval drum and baroque top in one structure.
• The balcony - a full circuit walkway over the roofs of the inner town.
• The Gate of Loyalty - the arched passage and relief at the base of the tower.
• Fo Square below - the horseshoe of medieval and baroque houses around the Trinity column.

When to go

April to October for full hours and a usable view; the top can close in high wind or ice. Closed on Mondays. Late afternoon light is best over the old town roofs. Sopron's wine cellars and the surrounding vineyards give the town a second reason to visit in September and October, when the harvest is on.

Honest expectations

The stairs are narrow, worn and unavoidable; there is no lift. The balcony gets tight as soon as a group arrives and passing people on it is awkward. The exhibition inside is small and quickly seen. Sopron's old town is genuinely handsome but very small, and half a day exhausts it, so the town works better as part of a wider trip than on its own.

Nearby

Fertod's Esterhazy palace and the Fertoe lake shore are both within half an hour by road.