Who would’ve thought that smack dab in a city in Ontario there would be a tower straight out of a fairy tale? Rapunzel, eat your heart out.

The Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower, despite its name, is actually located in Kitchener, Ontario. Kitchener, once known as Berlin, still remains true to its earlier German influences, most notably in that Kitchener has the second largest Oktoberfest celebration in the world.

The tower was built in 1926 and celebrates the arrival of Pennsylvania-German pioneers to the area. Due to its historical nature and status, the tower has been classified as a Federal Heritage Building. Looking at the German-inspired structure, it’s not hard to see why it’s classified as such. The location marks one of the earliest German pioneer settlement locations, and the tower itself is a stunning display of construction.

Although the tower itself was not open to the public when we went, the grounds are always accessible to wander around and take pictures. Though not tall compared to other structures, the historic nature of the nearly 100 year old structure makes it feel imposing.

One of the reasons the tower was built was to help settle anti-German sentiments in the area following World War One. It was seen as a merging of German and Canadian, and as a way to celebrate German contributions in Canada.

Plus, it’s a super fun place to have a cute photo shoot and laugh – a lot – during it.

We were lucky enough to be the only ones there during our excursion to the tower, which allowed us to take countless pictures and explore in peace. If you’re looking to go inside the tower, your best bet is to make a reservation or attend the annual Doors Open Waterloo event on the third Saturday of September.

No matter when you visit, if you’re near the area it’s definitely worth checking out. You’ll feel as though you’ve been transported straight into a fairytale.

Have you been to the tower? What other places have let you live out your fairytale fantasy?