Climb the steps inside this old bell tower and visitors are treated to panoramic views over the Danube and valley below with views of the Alps in the distance. Around 200 CE, the Roman military camp Lauriacum was established where modern-day Enns sits.
The nearby settlement of Lorch, today a part of Enns, received municipal privileges in 212. It wasn’t until 1212, however, that the Duke of Austria gave Enns city rights, with the city often cited as the oldest chartered municipality in Austria. The tower itself was built many centuries later in 1564. Stones from the demolished Scheiblingkirche were used in its construction, which can still be seen in the walls of the viewing platform on top. The structure has been used as a church tower, fire watch, clock and bell tower, and security lookout.
In 2008, the idea was born to put in a modern hotel room in the unoccupied watchman’s room of the tower, though the actual implementation of the project was not so easy. Strict rules were followed in the restoration of the room.