December 6, 2025, 12:50 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
A tower that leans to the side fascinates—not just in Pisa. Around the world, there are leaning structures, and some even overshadow the famous Italian original. In Europe and the U.S., there are examples of spectacularly tilted towers.
Bad Frankenhausen: More Tilted Than Pisa
In Bad Frankenhausen, Thuringia, a spectacularly leaning church tower draws attention. The leaning tower of the Oberkirche is currently not accessible but is expected to reopen next spring. This has been made possible by a multi-million investment that includes the construction of a visitor center and a skywalk. The latter offers a wide view over the spa town and the Kyffhäuser Mountains. The community expects around 80,000 visitors per year in the future.
Mayor Matthias Strejc emphasizes the superlative of the structure: “The tower, with its overhang of 4.86 meters, is more tilted than the tower in Pisa.” For comparison: The inclination of the world-famous tower in Tuscany was 3.97 degrees in 2022, with a horizontal overhang from base to top of nearly 4 meters.
Bologna: Two Leaning Towers in the City Center
Only about a two-hour drive from Pisa, two towers rise in the center of Bologna—and not vertically. Particularly striking is the smaller Torre della Garisenda, which leans nearly four degrees to the side. Less obvious but still measurably tilted is the taller Torre degli Asinelli. The approximately 97-meter-high Asinelli Tower was once accessible to visitors but is currently closed due to construction work.
Suurhusen: Once a World Record Contender
In Suurhusen, East Frisia, near Emden, rotting oak beams used as foundation material caused a remarkable tilt in the church tower. For a long time, the community could boast a “Guinness World Records” entry as the site of the “world’s most tilted tower”: With an overhang of 2.47 meters at a height of 27 meters, the tilt angle was 5.19 degrees.
But this record status was not permanent. Since 2022, there is a new leader—also from Germany. The bell tower in Gau-Weinheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, was declared the new record holder. With a tilt of 5.43 degrees, it surpasses its East Frisian predecessor.
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St. Moritz: Leaning View of the Alps
Switzerland also has a remarkably leaning tower to offer—and in the upscale ski resort of St. Moritz, no less. There, the 33-meter-high tower of a former church rises against an alpine backdrop—and in a noticeable tilt.
According to Engadin Tourism, the tilt is 5.5 degrees—putting it even above the current Guinness World Record. Perhaps the community should give the Guinness World Records office a call?
Pisa in Illinois: American Replica with a Tilt
Those looking for Pisa in the U.S. will find it in Niles, Illinois. There, a businessman had a scaled-down replica of the Italian original built in the 1930s. Although the tower is only half as tall as its model, it is equally tilted.
You can visit the structure, but not climb it—as stated on the community’s website. Unlike in Italy: The real tower of Pisa can be climbed, provided you are ready to tackle nearly 250 steps.
With material from dpa