Wattkopf

The Wattkopf is a wooded hill rising 338 metres above sea level on the western edge of the northern Black Forest, east of the town of Ettlingen in Baden-Württemberg. A local landmark, the Bismarckturm stands halfway up the western slope. The hill also gives its name to the 1 950-metre Wattkopftunnel, a single-bore road tunnel opened in 1994 that passes beneath the summit. Broadcasting has shaped the skyline since 1996 when the Südwestrundfunk placed the SWR4 Badenradio transmitter on the summit. Its 76-metre concrete tower now carries mobile-phone antennas, the Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe operational radio and the digital public-safety network. Two and a half kilometres north-east, on the edge of the Black Forest plateau, the Fernmeldeturm Grünwettersbach stands beside the Edelberg. Visitors reach the Bismarckturm by following forest paths from the western flank of the hill. The summit area centres on the broadcasting installation, fenced and guarded, but the surrounding slopes remain open to walkers. The tunnel’s northern portal lies at the foot of the hill, linking Ettlingen with the surrounding countryside. From the higher ground nearby the whole Upper Rhine plain can be seen stretching towards the Vosges on clear days.