Kaiser-Wilhelm-Höhe

The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Höhe stands on a southern ridge of the Kästenberg, a lower peak of the Peterskopf in the Haardt range. It overlooks the Isenach valley where the river loops around three sides of the hill. The site lies just outside the old Heidenmauer ringwall, a Celtic earthwork that dominates the Kästenberg. Nearby are the Median Clinic and the Haardtrand–Am Hinterberg nature reserve. The tower itself sits at 269.5 metres above sea level. The monument was raised in 1888 by the Drachenfels Club to mark the 90th birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I. A sandstone relief of the emperor was added in 1898 and replaced by a bronze plaque in 2003. The Drachenfels Club restored the tower in 1976 and thinned trees on the west side in 2004 to improve the view. The relief shows Wilhelm I in military uniform, gazing toward the Rhine plain. The structure is a single-storey stone tower with an open shelter inside lined with stone benches. An octagonal viewing platform is reached by two winding staircases at the rear. A small rest area with tables and benches surrounds the tower. From the platform visitors look down on the Isenach valley, the Limburg monastery and the Hardenburg castle ruins. Beyond lie the Ebersberg, Bretterkopf and Rindskehler Kopf peaks. The route from Grethen or Sonnenwende takes fifteen to thirty minutes on foot.