Description of the attraction
On the picturesque shore of Lake Upper (formerly Oberteich), there is one of the elements of the defensive ring of the former Konigsberg - the Wrangel Tower, erected in 1843. The tower is a massive brick bastion in the form of a circle with a diameter of 34 meters with slotted windows, loopholes, surrounded by a water moat. The thickness of the walls and floors of the tower reaches three meters, and the height is twelve. The superstructure, which was used to lift the guns with the help of a winch, is framed by cogs and is directed towards the city. The structure has two flights of stairs connecting the three floors and leading to the roof with an earthen embankment where the tools were once installed. Symmetrical arched openings along the entire perimeter were also intended for artillery pieces.
The Wrangel Tower was designed by architects: Engineer Captain Irfügelbrecht (Director of Fortification Construction) and Engineer Lieutenant von Heil. The defensive tower was named in honor of the Prussian Field Marshal Count Friedrich Heinrich Ernst von Wrangel, who participated in the counter-revolutionary coup in Berlin (1848). Wrangel came to Konigsberg as the commander of a privileged regiment in 1809, the stronghold of his regiment was then a few meters from the later erected tower.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the tower was considered obsolete and removed from the fortifications. During the Great Patriotic War, it functioned as a stronghold and did not participate in hostilities. During the capture of Konigsberg by Soviet troops, the structure received minor damage.
Today, the Wrangel Tower houses a cozy restaurant, heated by original fireplaces and styled in an antique style, and rock festivals are held in the courtyard of the tower. The fortification is a mirror image of another landmark of Kaliningrad - the Don Tower, located opposite and functioning as the Amber Museum.
