The symbol of Sopron is the Tűztorony (Fire Tower) Its bottom part was built upon Roman wall remains. From the 13th century it served as a gate tower of the town walls. It gained its present form (the baroque round balcony and its cap) after the town fire of 1976.

Watchmen of the Tűztorony had a very important task: to watch the area and indicate possible fires by a lamp or by colourful flags. They also gave signals when strange soldiers or wine transporters were coming toward the town. They had to play some musical instruments, too, for at weddings, burrials or town celabrations they had to provide the music. Every quarter of an hour they sounded the trumpet from the round balkony. They had to adjust the tower clock from the 16th century.

The two-headed eagle was the gift of king Ferdinánd II and queen Eleonora. It was placved on the top of the tower after the town fire. The repaired clock atthis time started giving signals again.

In 1893 the foundations of the tower weakened. The building was strengthened according to the sketches of Architect Frigyes Sulek.

The tower is also a symbol of loyalty. On the voting held on 14th December 1921 Sopron and other eight settlments decided to belong to Hungary. For the remembrance of this a baroque-like gate frame was designed by Rezső Hikisch. The statues placed above it – Soproners giving homage to Hungaria – are the work of Zsigmond Kisfaludy Strobl.

Visitors can walk up the snail stairs and have a look around from the balcony where the guards had been working long times ago. It is worth climbing the nearly 200 stairs.