Nölliturm (Nölli Tower), Lucerne

The first in line of the nine towers of the Musegg Wall of Lucerne, the Nölli Tower marks the outset of the ancient ring of fortifications which extended over the Musegg Hill to the now-demolished Weggistor gate in today's Museumplatz.

This cylindrical stone tower was built between 1513 and 1519 upon the rock on the bank of the river Reuss to replace another gate tower that was no longer in use. Originally, it was known as the "Red Tower" because of the striking conical roof clad in red tiles. The name Nölliturm probably refers to the name or nickname of a former guard or someone who either worked or lived at the site, and was documented for the first time in the early 18th century.

Although somewhat squat in appearance, the Nölli Tower represents a fine ashlar structure standing a proud 28 meters tall to the top, with an outer diameter of almost 13.5 meters and an inner diameter of almost 9.

Until 1852, it was used as a gunpowder storage, then as a storage of weapons and oil, and then as an archive. In 1901, the tower was modified to allow motor traffic to pass through its gate, following the construction of Saint-Karli-Quai that same year. Now the municipal property, the Nölliturm has been the headquarters of the Saffron Guild of Lucerne since 1922.