27-07-2016
The Bracka Tower was erected in 1318. It buttressed the defence of the crucial gateway to the town and the nearby Franciscan monastery. The name of the tower and the main gateway to Luban derives from Franciscan brothers.
Additionally, the tower served as an observation post. Moreover, as an only defensive structure in Luban, it constituted an independent defence post. Undoubtedly, it was a structure of considerable prestige.
The Bracka Tower was built of basalt stone on a circular plan. It is a 45 m (147ft) tall eight-storey building. The walls up to the _fth storey are 3 m (10 ft) thick. The thickness remaining part of walls is about 2,5 m (6.5 ft). The original entrance to the tower was located from the town's side on the second floor.
The fortifications in Luban on several occasions bore witness to armed struggles for the town. Nearly each time, the Bracka Tower played a significant part during the battle. The first battles for the Bracka Tower took place in 1431 during the Hussite wars. Then, it was targeted again during the Thirty Years' War, when the Swedish soldiers attempted to destroy it on two separate occasions – in 1639 and 1641. Luckily, both attempts were futile.
The Bracka Tower is undoubtedly one of the most captivating buildings in town as well as its indisputable symbol.
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