Hochsimmer

The Hochsimmer is a volcanic cone in the Eifel Mountains of western Germany. It stands near the village of Ettringen in the county of Mayen-Koblenz. Two rounded summits mark its top, the West Top at 587.9 metres and the East Top at 583.3 metres. A smaller neighbour, the Kleiner Simmer, rises about 600 metres to the southwest. The Nette river flows past the western slope, while roads skirt the eastern and southern flanks. The Hochsimmer Tower crowns the East Top. Built between 1909 and 1911, the 18-metre structure offers a wide view from its platform. On clear days the eye reaches the Eastern High Eifel, the Middle Rhine Basin and the village of Ettringen below. In exceptional visibility the spire of Cologne Cathedral appears on the horizon. A transmission tower stands thirty metres northwest of the viewing tower. Paths lead walkers up the grassy slopes to the summit. The surrounding countryside shows the gentle curves of old volcanic landforms. From the platform the layered greens of forest and meadow stretch to distant ridges. The tower itself, with its iron stairway and small windows, remains a landmark of the region’s early 20th-century building tradition.