Altenberg Tower
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Schw%C3%A4bisch-Fr%C3%A4nkische_Waldberge.png/220px-Schw%C3%A4bisch-Fr%C3%A4nkische_Waldberge.png)
The Altenbergturm is a lookout tower east of Hohenberg , a district of the municipality Sulzbach-Laufen in the Baden-Württemberg district of Schwäbisch Hall . The 42.5 m high tower, inaugurated in 2007, stands on the Altenberg , which is 564.7 m above sea level. NHN highest elevation in the district. The mountain is one of the immediately south of the Limpurger mountains subsequent subspace Sulzbacher forest of the natural area Swabian-Franconian Forest and towers over its immediate area by about 60 m.
History, dates, facts
The Altenberg tower was inaugurated on October 7, 2007. It is 42.5 m in total and 35.18 m high from the ground to the viewing platform; the parapet of the completely covered platform is about 600 m high. The four corner supports of the tower consist of several glued timber beams that are connected to each other by means of steel nodes. On the sides they are braced by wooden beams arranged in an X-shape. The surfaces formed in this way are partially clad with wooden slats, the arrangement of which results in large triangular and diamond patterns. The unusual construction with a perforated outer wall makes the tower an eye-catcher, especially since it rises significantly above the treetops.
The open staircase, built in the middle over a square floor plan, is made of hot-dip galvanized steel and is arranged rotated by 45 degrees to the actual tower body. There are 201 steps and 33 wooden-planked corner platforms to climb; On 31 of these small platforms the stairs turn by 90 degrees, the other two connect two opposing stair sections and therefore run over one side of the stairwell. They offer an opportunity for rest and a view. The four corner pillars of the stairwell protrude 4.2 m above the 38.3 m high roof of the tower and end at 42.5 m high.
The construction was partly financed by donations. Steps and steel beams bear the names of donors. For the ascent, a small contribution is requested in a collection box at the foot of the stairs in order to finance maintenance (August 2009: adults € 1, families € 2).
At the foot of the tower there are several seating areas, information boards about the history and construction of the tower and a children's playground.
Because of the partially open construction, the interior of the tower is also exposed to the weather. On parts of the wooden cladding in the middle of the tower that protrude to the outside, cushions of snow often collect on the inside during the cold season, which can fall onto the stairs when descending.
Access routes
- From the visitor parking lot to the east of Hohenberg , which was newly created after the tower was rebuilt , a gravel ascent path leads over 300 m in length directly to the tower.
- A noticeably longer, but consistently less steep ascent is possible from Hof Altenberg, about 500 m south of Hohenberg .
- In addition, various paths and paths lead from the east from the Hohenberg– Wegstetten road , one of which also has a parking lot at the beginning of the path, and from the south from the Abtsklinge to the tower.
outlook
The tower offers a view
- to the northwest over the Limpurger Mountains to Waldenburg
- to the north over the valley of the Bühler to the Haller level (the Kochertal bridge is partially covered by the mountain ranges south of Sulzdorf )
- to the east on the Ellwanger mountains to the Schönenbergkirche above Ellwangen
- to the south-east over the north-western tip of the nearby Büchelberger ridge into Welland and on the Ostalb to Kapfenburg
- to the south over the nearby Frickenhofer Höhe on the edge of the Swabian Alb from the northern protrusion of the Härtsfeld near Oberalfingen in the east over the Albuch in the southeast to the Drei Kaiserberge (Kaiserberge) near Schwäbisch Gmünd in the southwest
- to the west into the valley of the Rot near Fichtenberg and behind it to the towers on the Hohen Brach and on the Steinknickle in the Mainhardt Forest .
The valley cuts of Eisbach and Irsbach in the northwest and north, Bühler in the east, Blinder Rot in the southeast, Kocher from the southeast to the northwest and Fichtenberger Rot in the west are clearly visible.
On all sides of the tower, outside the balustrade, there are engraved panels that explain possible visual destinations.
There is a coin-operated telescope at the southwest corner of the viewing platform.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Further information for new buildings , from August 9, 2014, on echo-online.de
- ↑ a b c d e f Photo of the construction drawing on the information board on the tower and photo of the information board next to the tower; both on commons.wikimedia.org
- ↑ Hansjörg Dongus : Geographical land survey: The natural spatial units on sheet 171 Göppingen. Federal Institute for Regional Studies, Bad Godesberg 1961. → Online map (PDF; 4.3 MB)
Web links
- Map of Altenberg with surroundings on: State Agency for the Environment Baden-Württemberg (LUBW) ( information )
- Altenberg Tower. In: Structurae
- Altenbergturm ( Memento from November 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), on sulzbach-laufen.de
- 360-degree panorama from the Altenberg tower (labeling of visual targets can be activated), on panorama-photo.net
- Altenbergturm near Sulzbach / Kocher (video), on youtube.com
Coordinates: 48 ° 57 '46.4 " N , 9 ° 54' 7.4" E