Schöner Turm

Schöner Turm rises at the highest point of the triangular main square in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Its passage marks the eastern edge of the medieval old town. Built in the thirteenth century, the tower served as a defensive gate and watchtower. Only a few sections of the original city wall remain today.

A new city wall changed its role in 1458, when builders gave the structure its late Gothic appearance. Lily friezes form decorative bands near the upper part of the tower. Later, a clock and bell turned the former gate into a city tower for everyday town life. Market women once sold lard and other goods beneath its shelter, giving it the name Schmalzturm.

A cannonball above the passage recalls the French occupation of 1796. The tower’s surviving details connect medieval defence, market trade and later civic life in one landmark. Across the square, Landsberg’s town hall adds another historic view, with a stucco façade by the architect associated with the Wieskirche.