Plesse Tower

The Plesseturm is a 22-metre-high wooden observation tower on the Plesse mountain in the Wanfrieder Werrahöhen. It stands in the wooded eastern part of Wanfried in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis of Hesse. The tower sits on a Muschelkalk plateau 479.6 metres above sea level, near the former Inner German Border. About two kilometres northeast of the town centre, it overlooks the valley of the Werra and the surrounding ridges. The first tower was built in 1884 by the Werratalverein’s Wanfried section. King’s senior forester Mittelacher and builder Besser from Wanfried designed and erected it. After repairs in 1891, it was closed in 1959 and demolished in 1961. The present tower was completed in 1964 under mayor Erich Thomas, designed by architect Albin Gatzemeier. A major renovation finished in 2023, returning the tower to public use. Visitors reach the Plesseturm along the nine-kilometre Premium Wanderweg P5 Plesse. The tower’s viewing platform stands 18 metres above ground at 497.6 metres altitude. From the platform the view stretches across the Heldrastein, the Schlierbachswald and the Hohe Meißner. To the right the Hülfensberg appears in the southern Eichsfeld. The route passes the Plessefelsen and a hillside barbecue site before returning to the Gatterbach waterfall.