The tower was built in the middle of the 13th century in order to protect the southern city gate. Climb it for a sweeping 360-degree view of the city. Near the tower is a funicular railway , constructed in 1888, which connects the Lower and Upper Towns.
For the last hundred years a cannon has been fired from the tower every day at noon, allegedly to commemorate one day in the mid-15th century, when the cannon was fired at noon at the Turks, who were camped across the Sava River. On its way down, the cannonball happened to hit a rooster, which was blown to bits – according to legend, this was so demoralising for the Turks that they decided not to attack the city. (A less fanciful explanation is that the cannon shot allows churches to synchronise their clocks.)
