The City Tower – Second Floor

The Lower Gate (today’s City Tower) was armed and fortified more thoroughly than the Upper Gate, which was protected by the close proximity of a branch of the Váh River and an artillery bastion of the castle. The Lower Gate formed part of the more massive southern section of the town fortifications. Originally, it had only two floors. Later, from the second half of the 16th century to the first quarter of the 17th century, the tower was extended by three additional floors on an octagonal ground plan, and finally by a top floor with a gallery. The fortifications with their gates were struck by a major town fire in 1709. The City Tower was renovated in the years 1933–1934, 1961, and 2002. During the construction of the new town hall in 1933–1934, a second passageway was created alongside the wall of the municipal office building. Notice the shape of the small windows, which testify to the tower’s defensive function. On the inside they are very wide and gradually narrow into a small loophole. Their very small size on the outside allowed the defenders to aim inconspicuously and, if necessary, to fire.