October 11, 2025, 1:01 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Up close, it looks even more impressive than from afar: In Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg, a massive tower rises like a drill into the sky between the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest. Why the tower was built and what else there is to discover in Rottweil.
Looking up at the tower and the clouds passing above, you might get dizzy. The sun peeks out from behind the tip, creating a halo. What a giant! Even more impressive, however, is the view from the observation deck at 232 meters, the highest in Germany.
The tower’s elegance comes from a shimmering shell stretched over steel pipes. It’s like a twisted designer dress–both stable and wind-resistant. Beneath it is a simple concrete tube with twelve elevator shafts for testing new systems for ever taller and faster elevators. The latest innovation uses magnetic levitation technology–without cables.
The construction itself was an adventure: the excavation alone is 32 meters deep. Initially, the stable rock was blasted, and the last ten meters down, where shell limestone was found, were excavated by a digger.
How the Giant Came to Rottweil
The responsible company, formerly ThyssenKrupp Elevators, now TK Elevator, is based in Neuhausen auf den Fildern. It’s near Stuttgart Airport, where construction was not possible for safety reasons.
The search was within a 100-kilometer radius, with a focus on convenient transportation access. Alexander Keller, head of the elevator division, knew the area–and so they quickly ended up in Rottweil. The tower is easily visible from the nearby Autobahn 81.
Also interesting: The 11 tallest buildings in the world
The 6 Most Unusual Observation Towers in Germany
Tim Raue Opens Germany’s Highest Restaurant
How Germany’s Highest Observation Deck Was Built
The first meeting with the company executives took place in 2013, and in 2014 the town council addressed the issue. Many residents feared that the view of the historic town center might be disrupted. Initially, a purely industrial building was planned. Only the idea of a public visitor platform brought the parties together, and the company’s willingness to compromise paved the way.
The platform is open to visitors from Friday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. It is 80 meters higher than the Stuttgart TV tower’s platform and nearly 30 meters higher than the Berlin TV tower’s. The ride up in the visitor elevator takes 30 seconds. Once at the top, you can acclimate to the height indoors before stepping out into the walkway between glass walls. The outer panes are tinted downward, which helps alleviate fear of heights.
Why a Visit to Rottweil Is Also Worthwhile
A visit to the well-preserved historic town center is also worthwhile. Typical for Rottweil are the gabled townhouses with their numerous bay windows, most of which date back to the Baroque period. The city also impresses with its medieval churches and towers. Notable is the Pelagiuskirche. Under the church were baths. Roman columns support the floor, and warm air circulated here 2,000 years ago as underfloor heating.
The tallest tower in Rottweil’s town center is the Hochturm, and the most famous is the Black Gate. You can climb the Hochturm. It’s a real retro pleasure compared to the elevator ride in the test tower to Germany’s highest observation deck.