About Giurgiu Clock Tower
At a glance: Monuments and historic sites in Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 15 min. Information verified on 10 October 2026.
The Clock Tower, officially the Turnul Ceasornicului, is Giurgiu's best-known building: a 22 m stone tower, leaning slightly, rising in the middle of Piața Unirii and appearing on the county's coat of arms. The Ottomans built it in the 18th century, when the town was a Turkish raya, as an observation point over the Danube. Tradition, repeated by Wikipedia, gives the years 1770–1771, but no founding document has survived, and the more careful sources say only "the 18th century". Historians at the Teohari Antonescu County Museum have dismissed the legends that it was a minaret or was built by the Genoese.
After the Ottomans left, the tower served as a fire lookout, and in the first part of the 19th century it was given a clock with a bell (sources say 1830 or 1839); the rooms at its base housed the firefighters and the police. The French draughtsman Raffet drew it in 1837, in the oldest known image. In 1916, when Bulgarian troops set the town on fire, the tower lost its top; it was rebuilt in 1934 by the architect Horia Teodoru. The foundation and structure were strengthened with concrete and the top rebuilt, in works completed in 2007, when a new clock was installed. The old mechanism, with its gong of over 50 kg, is kept in the County Museum.
What you can see
The tower can be seen from every side of the circular square, from which the rays of a star-shaped 19th-century street plan fan out, hence Giurgiu's nickname "the star town". The massive stone shaft, the clock face and the pointed cap with the belfry windows make it recognisable from afar, especially in the evening, when it is lit up. Up close you can also notice the slight lean, which some compare to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Around it are blocks of flats from the 1960s and 1970s, and at its foot an annexe with a terrace; the contrast between the two is all you can see here.
Good to know
The tower is seen from the outside. The interior has no published visiting hours, and the local press described it in 2020 as closed to the public; its base was leased for a café-beer hall, whose current situation we could not confirm. Mircea cel Bătrân's citadel on St George's Island is a separate attraction, a short walk away.
- The silhouette of the 22 m stone tower, leaning slightly, in the middle of Piața Unirii.
- The clock face and the pointed belfry at the top, rebuilt in the works completed in 2007.
- The star-shaped plan of streets radiating from the square, with the tower at its centre.
- The original clock mechanism, with its gong of over 50 kg, kept at the Teohari Antonescu County Museum.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Giurgiu is ~65 km south of Bucharest on the DN5 (~1 hour without traffic), by the Friendship Bridge to Ruse in Bulgaria. The tower is in the town centre, in Piața Unirii, from which the main streets start; from the centre, everything worth seeing is within walking distance.
Public transport: Giurgiu is linked to Bucharest by buses, minibuses and trains; timetables change, so check them before you go. From the town's railway or bus station you can reach the centre by taxi or local transport, and the tower is visible from the square.
- Where to park
There is no car park dedicated to the tower: you park on the streets around the square, where the regime (paid or free) may change; check the signs. The square itself is largely pedestrianised.
- Fees & discounts
Seeing the tower from the outside is free. The interior is not open to the public, so no tickets are sold.
- Rules
The tower is a category A historic monument: do not climb on its walls or fences. Around it are ordinary terraces and public spaces; you can photograph freely from the square.
- Facilities
Cafés, restaurants and shops around the square · banks and public toilets in the centre, a few minutes away · good mobile signal
Frequently asked questions about Giurgiu Clock Tower
- How much is a ticket to Giurgiu Clock Tower?
- Admission to Giurgiu Clock Tower is free (from the outside only). Seeing the tower from the outside is free. The interior is not open to the public, so no tickets are sold.
- What are the opening hours of Giurgiu Clock Tower?
- Opening hours at Giurgiu Clock Tower: daily open 24 hours. The tower can be seen freely from the outside, at any hour, from Piața Unirii. The interior has no published visiting hours and is not open to the public; for a possible visit, ask the Teohari Antonescu County Museum or Giurgiu City Hall.
- How long does a visit to Giurgiu Clock Tower take?
- A visit to Giurgiu Clock Tower takes about 15 min (a short stop in the centre).
- Can you visit Giurgiu Clock Tower with kids?
- Yes, Giurgiu Clock Tower is suitable for children (pedestrian square, park around it).
- Where can I park at Giurgiu Clock Tower?
- There is paid parking at Giurgiu Clock Tower (on the streets in the centre). There is no car park dedicated to the tower: you park on the streets around the square, where the regime (paid or free) may change; check the signs. The square itself is largely pedestrianised.
- How do I get to Giurgiu Clock Tower?
- Giurgiu Clock Tower is located at Piața Unirii, in the town centre, Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. By car: Giurgiu is ~65 km south of Bucharest on the DN5 (~1 hour without traffic), by the Friendship Bridge to Ruse in Bulgaria. The tower is in the town centre, in Piața Unirii, from which the main streets start; from the centre, everything worth seeing is within walking distance. Public transport: Giurgiu is linked to Bucharest by buses, minibuses and trains; timetables change, so check them before you go. From the town's railway or bus station you can reach the centre by taxi or local transport, and the tower is visible from the square.
- When is the best time to visit Giurgiu Clock Tower?
- The best season for Giurgiu Clock Tower: All year round (in the evening, when it is lit).
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