Marienwarte

The Marienwarte is an observation tower on the Reinberg hill in Thalheim bei Wels, a village in Upper Austria. The Reinberg has a long history, with traces of a medieval fortification called Purgkhstall. In the 19th century the hill was turned from meadows into woodland by the local beautification society. Johann Ploberger donated the building site in 1891, and Johann Schauer designed the tower while Baumeister Kunz carried out the work.

The tower was completed in 1892 and stands on a thick concrete slab. Its name honours the wife of the donor. Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth both visited the new tower that same year. During the First World War the tower briefly served as an air-observation post. Even when the tower is closed, a nearby pavilion still offers a wide view west and north towards Wels.

The viewing platform sits at 391 metres above sea level and the top of the spire reaches almost ten metres higher. From here visitors look out over Wels, the Traun plain, the Alps, the Hausruck range and the Bohemian Forest. The city has owned the hill and the protected tower since 1942. In 1954 the paths leading up to the Marienwarte were lit for evening walks.