Trogir, Croatia and the Tower of Terror!
The first third of the climb was straightforward and uneventful up the sort of staircase that we have negotiated many times but then the stone staircase stopped abruptly at a first level and the next part of the climb was up a set of precarious wooden steps that had a handrail but nothing else to prevent a careless visitor falling through and ending up in a tangle of broken bones on the stone floor at the bottom of the tower.
Worse than that was the prospect of slipping and falling the other way which would have involved a fall through an open stone window and onto the court yard below with little real prospect of survival. During the fatal fall however there would have been some excellent views because the higher the steps climbed the view over the roof tops towards the sea on one side and the mountains on the other got better and better.
This was more like the Tower of Terror than the Tower of Trogir. At the top of the hazardous wooden stairs was a second level where the bells were and then some even more dangerous iron stairs to negotiate to complete the climb to the very top of the tower which involved a struggle through a small opening without any handrails at all and which opened out into the final level where there was time to enjoy the spectacular views and to contemplate and reflect on just how perilous this climb was and to worry about getting back down again.
I’d heard about this one from Tricia Mitchell when she was in Trogir recently, Andrew. It sounds quite a challenge.
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It is truly terrifying. I think it might have been me that persuaded Tricia not to climb to the very top!
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Interesting story which is brought by unique photograph. As you see a photo could tell a lot of words
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Wow I’m amazed that stairs like that aren’t declared illegal! I can’t imagine how you managed to get to the top Andrew. Good for you!
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I imagine that in more safety conscious countries they may well be!
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Love it … I’m just always amazed at how people hundreds of years ago probably just ran up these things without even thinking about it. The photo really gets across just what a free fall it would be from up there.
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Thanks for the comment. Yes, it would have been a spectacular fall, that’s for sure!
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Looks a little too scary for me! I’m afraid of heights, so I fear I couldn’t go up these steps! 🙂
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Good choice, Andrew. I wonder if anyone has been up there recently. Maybe with a harness?
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