A 70-metre medieval bell tower standing in the Rathausplatz directly beside the Rathaus, from which it is architecturally inseparable. The tower is climbable — a winding staircase leads to the viewing platform with a panoramic view over the compact Altstadt and beyond to the Bavarian countryside. On the festival of St Michael (September 29), a mechanical figure called the Turamichele emerges from the tower to perform its annual dragon-slaying routine — a tradition the city takes seriously. The tower and the Rathaus together form the defining image of Augsburg's centre.
Perlachturm
Medieval bell tower with panoramic views over the Altstadt
A story
The Perlachturm began as a Romanesque watchtower in the 10th century, was converted to a bell tower for the adjacent St. Peter am Perlach church, and heightened several times — most significantly by Elias Holl in the early 17th century, who added 30 metres to bring it to its current 70-metre height. The mechanical figure on the tower face, known as the Turamichele (Tower Michael), appears twice a year on the Feast of Michael to slay a dragon to the delight of gathered crowds.