Holsterturm

The Holsterturm stands on the edge of the Eggegebirge in the Weserbergland, a few kilometres south-west of the small town of Nieheim. It is a stone observation tower built in the 19th century on the 393-metre-high Egge ridge. The tower offers wide views over the surrounding countryside, from the lush Nethebergland in the south to the gently rolling Steinheimer Börde in the north.

The tower is worth the journey because it marks the boundary between two distinct landscapes. Below lie fertile loess soils once cleared for farming, while above the ridge the land rises into wooded uplands. The contrast is clear on the climb up the 120 steps, where the change from arable fields to forest is plain to see.

Visitors find a simple stone tower with an external staircase and a small viewing platform at the top. The path from Nieheim winds through mixed woodland before reaching the open ridge. On clear days the view stretches as far as the Teutoburger Wald to the north-west and the wide Weser valley to the east.