Six Towers in Europe That Lean More Than Pisa

Who doesn't know it: the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is considered one of the most famous buildings in the world. This tourist attraction in Italy frequently draws numerous travelers. For a photo, they pretend to prevent the roughly 848-year-old tower from toppling over. The Leaning Tower of Pisa only has a tilt of 3.97 degrees.

In reality, there are several other leaning towers in Europe that lean even more. You can find many of them in Germany. We present a few in more detail.

The leaning tower in Bad Frankenhausen is part of the 630-year-old Upper Church. Due to ongoing subsidence of the 56-meter-tall tower, it has a tilt of 4.93 degrees. With an overhang of 4.60 meters, it deviates more than half a meter more from the vertical than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The reason for its tilt: Deep beneath the city of Bad Frankenhausen, water causes the dissolution of salt and gypsum stone, which were deposited there about 250 million years ago - leading to subsidence. However, thanks to a support, further tilting was prevented.

The St. Walfriduskerk church in the Dutch town of Bedum is notable not for its distinct architecture but for its leaning tower. The church tower dates back to the 12th century and became increasingly slanted over time, now having a tilt of 4.18 degrees.

To prevent it from toppling over, an underground counterweight was added in the 1950s. It leans approximately 2.6 meters to the side.

The Leaning Tower of Toruń was constructed in the 14th century as part of the medieval fortifications of the Polish city of Toruń. The soft clay ground on which it stands once partially gave way, causing the tower to lean. Today it has a tilt of 5.13 degrees and is 1.46 meters off the vertical.

Over time, the tower served various purposes. In the 18th century, it was a prison, later a blacksmith's shop with living quarters. Today, the tower houses a coffee shop and a souvenir store.

As of September 2022, the bell tower of Gau-Weinheim near Mainz is considered the most tilted tower in the world. According to measurements, the former defense tower in Rhineland-Palatinate has a tilt of approximately 5.43 degrees. The world record was confirmed by the Record Institute for Germany (RID).

Following the official confirmation of the record, the small community hopes to attract more tourists. The tower, which is a protected historical monument, was renovated in 1991. Since then, its bells chime again at 11, 13, and 18 o'clock for traditional civic ringing.

The leaning tower in Suurhusen is part of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Suurhusen-Marienwehr parish. It was built in 1450 on Oak beams. However, in the 19th century, these began to rot, causing a tilt of 5.19 degrees. For a while, it was considered the most leaning tower in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records but has since been surpassed by the bell tower in Gau-Weinheim.

The church tower in Suurhusen is 27.37 meters tall with an overhang of 2.47 meters. Visitors wishing to explore the interior of the leaning church tower can do so through guided tours.

The city fortification tower in Dausenau has a tilt of 5.24 degrees - making it actually leanier than the church tower in Suurhusen. However, because it is a ruin, it could not qualify for the top spot in the ranking of the most leaning towers, notes the 'Tour Planner Rhineland-Palatinate'.

The leaning position has several causes: clay-rich soil, lowering of a road, elevation of the groundwater level, and vibrations from traffic.

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