Luziferturm (Horb am Neckar)

The Luziferturm stands in Horb am Neckar, a town in south-west Baden-Württemberg. Built in the 13th century, this medieval gatehouse once controlled the road from Ihlingen into the walled old town. Its name comes from stories that people accused of witchcraft were imprisoned here under the belief they were possessed by the devil. The tower’s second floor once held a wooden cell called the Ruebkammer. Through a small window beside the upper arrow-slit, gaolers lowered food to prisoners. In the 1980s the space was converted into a small restaurant, keeping the thick stone walls and narrow staircase intact. Visitors climb the spiral steps to the top floor. From the battlements they look over the Neckar valley and the red roofs of the old town. Inside, diners sit beneath the original timber beams of the former prison, tasting local dishes while the history of the place lingers in the air.