The Town Hall Tower is all that remains of Krakow's original Gothic Town Hall, which was demolished in 1820 — a decision that later generations have not entirely forgiven. The 70-metre tower, built in the 14th century and tilted slightly off vertical (a visible lean of about 55 centimetres), survives because it was judged too structurally complex to demolish with the rest. It now houses a small branch of the Krakow Historical Museum and is open to visitors who want to climb to the viewing level for a panorama over the Market Square.
The climb is steep and the views from the top are good but not exceptional — St. Mary's Basilica blocks the northward sightlines. The main value is the tower itself: standing within the structure and reading about the town hall that surrounded it gives a sense of what the square looked like before the 19th century cleared it. The cellar of the tower houses a small theatrical stage (Scena STU) that puts on performances in the evenings.