Zagreb, Croatia: Lotrščak Tower

You have to admire a structure that has been doing its job since the 12th century. The Lotrščak Tower qualifies for that distinction. 

This structure started to guard one of the gates to the ancient city of Gradec (now Zagreb). It's been adapted over the years, and now the tower is about 30 meters high and the walls are six feet thick. A lookout tower was added in the 1800s, and it's still there to provide a nice overview of the city.. 

There are a couple of notes for this. The "Thieves Bell" began to be wrung in 1646, when the gates to the city were formally closed at night. Meanwhile, its cannon has been fired at noon every day since 1877, so you'll always know what time it is when visiting. 

I know. You want to hear the noon boom.

Happily, someone did a short video on that very subject. If you feel like celebrating noon where you are, you can do so easily.