October 6, 2025, 5:05 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Huge sculptures, rusty steel structures, and a tower that seems to sway in the wind–in Germany, there are observation towers that are more than just platforms with a view. Some surprise with curious shapes, others with their history. An overview of the most extraordinary towers in the country.
Overview
A Witch’s Broom in the Harz
In the Harz, witches are among the most famous legendary figures. Fittingly, a new observation tower in the shape of an oversized witch’s broom has recently been erected at the southern edge of the low mountain range. The structure in Ellrich, Thuringia, is 70 meters high, weighs 452 tons, and, according to the operators, holds the title of the world’s largest witch’s broom.
Visitors can climb the tower and, on a clear day, see as far as the Brocken, which is only about 25 kilometers away. Those who don’t want to take the stairs back down can slide into the valley on two slides.
A Gigantic Little Man at the Open-Pit Mine
Between Cologne and Aachen rises a huge metal figure reminiscent of a little man: the Indemann. It is named after the “Indeland,” a region that aims to transform into a recreational landscape after the end of lignite mining.
For now, the view from above offers an unobstructed look at the Inden open-pit mine. By 2030, a large lake is expected to form there. Even now, the Indemann is a popular excursion destination–especially at night when more than 40,000 LEDs illuminate the figure.
The “Rusty Nail” in the Lusatian Lake District
In southern Brandenburg, between Sedlitzer and Geierswalder See, a 30-meter-high tower made of Corten steel rises: the “Rusty Nail.” In the tranquil lake landscape, it initially seems out of place, but its form is deliberately chosen.
The name refers to the region’s past, where lignite was once mined. Today, the flooded open-pit mines symbolize change. From above, a wide view opens up over water surfaces and forests.
The Wobble Tower in Leipzig
Visitors to the observation tower in Leipzig’s Rosental should be free from dizziness. On windy days, it actually begins to sway–which is why locals affectionately call it the “Wobble Tower,” as explained by the city’s tourism office.
Brave visitors are rewarded with a view over the park to the city center. Prominent buildings like the City-Hochhaus or the Town Hall Tower are easily recognizable from above.
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Germany’s Highest Observation Platform
Up close, it appears even more imposing than from afar: In Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg, a massive tower rises like a drill into the sky between the Swabian Alb and the Black Forest. Inside the simple concrete tube are twelve elevator shafts for testing new systems for ever taller and faster elevators. The latest innovation works with magnetic technology–without cables. Even more impressive, however, is the view from the observation platform at 232 meters, the highest in Germany.
The Sonnenstuhl Tower near Würzburg
This observation point owes its name not to its shape but to its location. The Sonnenstuhl is a well-known vineyard in Randersacker, south of Würzburg, and the tower stands amid the vines. From the approximately seven-meter-high platform, the view extends over the vineyards and parts of the Main Valley.
The structure itself has a varied history: It was built in 1933 in honor of Adolf Hitler and initially bore his name. After World War II, it was renamed, and since the 1970s, it has been officially called the Sonnenstuhl Tower.