Bilstein

The Bilstein is a 641-metre peak in the Kaufunger Wald, a forested range in northern Hesse. It stands near Großalmerode in the Werra-Meißner district, within a large uninhabited forest district. The summit is topped by a basalt outcrop, a natural monument formed when magma cooled beneath the surface and was later exposed by erosion.

The Bilstein has long been a landmark. In the early Middle Ages it marked the border between Germanic tribes, and Charlemagne declared the surrounding forest a royal hunting ground. A wooden lookout tower was built in 1869, replaced in 1891 by the present stone Bilsteinturm. In 1907 Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria climbed the tower, and in 1960 it was raised by seven metres. The tower now offers wide views across the countryside.

Paths lead to the summit through quiet woodland. The Frau-Holle-Pfad and Herkulesweg cross the ridge, while a short loop from Großalmerode passes the Steinberg lakes and the Rote Nieste spring. The Bilstein-Marathon uses the mountain as its highest point. On clear days the view stretches to the Harz mountains, Kassel’s Herkules monument and the Rothaargebirge.