There is something unnerving yet oddly thrilling about seeing a structure leaning at an angle it clearly shouldn’t be. Our brains are wired to expect straight lines and perfectly upright structures, so when something tilts, it grabs our attention easily. Today, plenty of modern skyscrapers are built at a unique angle for this exact reason—to get attention.
But the leaning towers on this list are different. They’re old, crumbling, and leaning to one side either because of unstable foundations, soil erosion, or construction errors. Everyone knows the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, named after its famous lean but there are more leaning towers with interesting stories behind them:
Oberkirche, Bad Frankenhausen
Starting with a tower that leans more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa itself, the Oberkirche, which translates to Upper Church from German, was built in 1382. It’s also known as the Church of Our Lady on the Mountain. Gothic in style, the tower reaches 184-foot and leans about 4.93 degrees because of a bunch of salt in the soil on which it was built.
Over its long life, the church has endured wars, fires, looting, and even served as a prison camp during the French invasion in 1806. Like many historic buildings in Germany, it’s got a history rooted in war. It was even used as a store house for Nazi Germany arsenal. At the rate it is leaning, experts have calculated that the tower should collapse by 2092.
Suyumbike Tower, Kazan
Dominating the skyline of the Russian Kazan Kremlin is the Suyumbike Tower, a 190-foot-high brick structure with plenty of history. The thing is, no one really knows when the tower was built. Some say it was built as early as the 17th century. Others date it back to the 18th century, when these types of tiered towers were popular in Russia.
It looks a bit like a wedding cake, with tiers and a top-spired roof. It was named after the Queen Suyumbike or Soyembika, who, according to legend, jumped from the top of the tower’s pinnacle. Originally built as a military watchtower, it still stands tall (although leaning) as a symbol of regional Tatar heritage.
Round Tower of Kilmacduagh
Tucked away in the Irish countryside near Gort in Galway County sits one of the most historic leaning towers in the world. Built in the 7th century as part of a monastery abbey, this tower is part of a set of historic ruins. Since it’s so old, the exact year of its construction is unknown. What we do know is that since it was built, it’s been damaged, repaired, used as a bell tower, and even as a place of refuge during Viking raids.
It’s a perfectly round tower set in the middle of a graveyard, a notable Irish architectural feature at the time. Because of the wet and marshy ground, Kilmacduagh Tower leans significantly. Nevertheless, with over a century behind it, it has literally and figuratively stood the test of time.
Tiger Hill Pagoda, Suzhou
Tiger Hill in Suzhou is the oldest and largest pagoda south of the Yangtze River. It’s officially named the Yunyan Pagoda, but it’s often called the Leaning Tower of China because of its dramatic three-degree tilt. It was built in 327, and since then, it has been damaged and rebuilt multiple times, most recently in 1871. As you might expect, this temple has survived plenty of wars, specifically the Second Sino-Japanese War.
It rises 154 feet into the air and has seven tiers built in an octagonal shape typical of the region. It was built half on rocks and half in soil, meaning its foundational support has been under threat since the day construction started. Until 2010, you could walk the stairs to the top of the tower.
Leaning Tower of St Moritz
Set in the Swiss Alpine town of St. Moritz, a solitary leaning tower is the last remnant of the 13th-century church of St. Mauritius. It’s located right in the heart of the town, which is one of the most famous and elite ski resorts in the world. Since it’s located on the mountainside, the land has naturally shifted over the last 800 years.
Once upon a time, the tower was surrounded by a series of church buildings and historic structures. All of them were built in the Romanesque style that was popular at the time. But because of the slow-moving landslide and mountain incline, all of them, except for the tower, have been demolished for safety reasons. Thanks to the work of Swiss engineers, the 108-foot-tall tower has survived despite its dramatic tilt.
Oude Kerk, Delft
The Dutch city of Delft is most famous for its iconic pottery and crockery. But it’s also home to one of the most tilted leaning towers in Europe. Built in 1246 in a Gothic style, the Oude Kerk, or Old Church, has a 246-foot-high brick tower that leans around 6.5 feet off its usual angle. It was once the tallest building in the city.
The tower has a central spire and four corner turrets, classic of the Gothic style at the time. While many of these buildings have started to lean after centuries of existence, this one started to lean before its construction even ended. Made even more slanted by a massive fire, weather, and the explosion of a gunpowder store in the town in 1654, this tower looks like an optical illusion.
Two Towers of Bologna
Bologna’s iconic skyline is defined by two towers: Asinelli and Garisenda. Set right in the heart of the city, they’re often seen as symbols of Bologna. In terms of history, they were built in the Middle Ages between 1109 and 1119, where the main road entered the city.
The Asinelli tower is the higher of the two, reaching over 318 feet, while the Garisenda tower reaches just 154 feet. However, the towers were actually built the same height, and the Garisenda Tower was shortened because of its dramatic overhang. It posed such a danger of collapsing that it was half-demolished back in the 14th century. Until 2023, tourists could walk up the highest tower’s 498 steps to view the city from the top of one of its most historic monuments.
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