Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Chile Concepción Bismarck Tower

Bismarck Tower

Dedicated to the first German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, this aging edifice is the only one of its kind in the Americas.

Concepción, Chile

Added By
E Capemarsh
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Tower   AlvaroMolinaCL
The Bismarck Tower   Gonzalez2007
The inauguration of the tower.   Diario El Sur
The tower after the earthquake of 1939.   Fernando Melcher
Tower and flowers   Fabianrivera.n
View from the Cerro Caracol   AlvaroMolina
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

More than 200 of these triumphal towers venerating the first chancellor of Germany, Otto von Bismarck, were erected all over the newly unified country in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The example in Concepción is one of only a handful of such beacons of Bismarck reverence built outside Europe by the German diaspora. 

Known locally as El Mirador Alemán (the German Viewpoint), the 30-foot-tall Bismarck Tower in Chile's second city is the world’s most southerly example of this type of monument. Crowning the 850-foot-high Cerro Caracol (Snail Hill), and offering panoramic views, this patriotic podium was erected in 1921.

The small but influential German-speaking community of Concepción intended to light a flaming beacon atop the tower on significant dates to commemorate the Prussian-born statesman. Bismarck's crumbling likeness is carved onto a stone plaque halfway up the semi-ruinous structure.

The stone tower was originally twice as high as it is today, but lost its upper tier during the devastating Chillán earthquake of 1949. It was damaged twice more in seismic calamities, in 1960 and 2010, which has led a German website dedicated to all things Bismarck Tower-related to nickname it the "Earthquake-proof Tower."  

Related Tags

Towers Politics Earthquakes Monuments

Know Before You Go

The Tower is at the summit of the Cerro Caracol Hill above the city, a scenic 1.5 mile hike or bike ride to an altitude of over 800 feet. The climb is not too difficult and is way-marked from the city's largest public park, Parque Ecuador, located on Calle Victor Lamas. Although Concepción is generally a safe city, it is not recommended to walk alone on the Cerro Caracol.

Community Contributors

Added By

Capemarsh

Published

June 20, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirador_Alemán
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck#Legacy_and_memory
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bismarck_tower
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Chillán_earthquake
  • https://www.bismarcktuerme.de/ebene4/uebers/chile.html
  • http://paseosconce.blogspot.com/2011/11/mirador-aleman-cerro-caracol.html
Bismarck Tower
64 Esfuerzo
Concepción
Chile
-36.843259, -73.038311
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Enrique Molina Theater

Concepción, Chile

miles away

'The Presence of Latin America' Mural

Concepción, Chile

miles away

Plaza Jurásica

Concepción, Chile

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Concepción

Concepción

Chile

Places 4

Nearby Places

Enrique Molina Theater

Concepción, Chile

miles away

'The Presence of Latin America' Mural

Concepción, Chile

miles away

Plaza Jurásica

Concepción, Chile

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Concepción

Concepción

Chile

Places 4

Related Places

  • Stanton Lees, England

    Earl Grey Tower

    This tower was constructed to commemorate the man who helped bring true democracy to the United Kingdom.

  • Kętrzyn County, Poland

    Bismarck Tower Ruin

    This hilltop ruin is of the hundreds of stone columns built in tribute to the first German chancellor.

  • Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

    The Stone Tower

    Off a back road near Waterville Valley, one can find a castle turret built by an eccentric reverend over 100 years ago.

  • Massey Memorial at Point Halswell.

    Wellington, New Zealand

    Massey Memorial

    The mausoleum of New Zealand's controversial prime minister.

  • A crowd of statues

    Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Garden of the Generalissimos

    A Taiwanese garden teems with the retired statues of the island's former dictator.

  • Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Spomenik Francetu Prešernu

    When this monument to Slovenia's national poet was erected, it's said to have sparked the ire of nearby church authorities.

  • Tyndale Monument at sunset

    North Nibley, England

    Tyndale Monument

    A 160-year-old tower built in honor of a scholar who was burned at the stake for translating the Bible.

  • Pristina, Kosovo

    Gazimestan

    The site of a legendary 14th-century battle and a controversial 20th-century speech.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.