Tromm

The Tromm is a striking ridge in the Odenwald range, rising about 400 metres above the Weschnitztal valley in southern Hesse. It stretches roughly north to south, with its highest point reaching 576.8 metres. The ridge separates the Weschnitztal to the west from the Ulfenbachtal to the east, and its summit lies within the municipality of Rimbach. The Tromm’s granite bedrock formed deep underground around 339 million years ago during the Variscan orogeny. The rock shows classic signs of weathering, with rounded tors and jointed blocks scattered across the slopes. The ridge also marks a zone of intense faulting where geologists have identified pathways for geothermal fluids. Researchers have drilled two 500-metre boreholes to study these structures for a planned underground laboratory. A new steel observation tower, the Trommturm, now stands near the old Ireneturm site. Its 34-metre shaft leans 35.7 degrees west and is clad in timber. Sixteen flights of stairs with 192 steps lead to an open platform offering uninterrupted views. On clear days the outlook spans the Rhine plain, the Pfälzerwald, the Taunus, the Spessart and even the Vosges mountains over 170 kilometres away. The surrounding forest belongs to the Natura 2000 network, protecting habitats such as beech woods and ravine forests.