Felsenturm | © Daniela Ziermann

Felsenturm

55430 Oberwesel

The rock tower is located between the Koblenz Gate Tower and the former Niederburg Gate Tower and was built - as the name suggests - on a rock pedestal about 5 meters high.

The Felsenturm is located between the Koblenz Gate Tower and the former Niederburg Gate Tower and was built - as the name suggests - on a rocky pedestal about 5 meters high. The rock tower as well as the section of the city wall were built in the course of the third construction phase after 1330. The city wall reaches a height of over 16 meters above the bottom of the moat. The Niederburg gate tower was once considered the most important tower in the town from the defense point of view. This was also recognized by the attackers or occupiers of the town, so that the French blew up this gate tower during the Palatinate War of Succession (1689). For the construction of the tower's foundation, the rock had first to be worked away. Since this was a laborious undertaking, the ground plan of the rock tower is smaller than the ground plan of the other towers. The rock tower measures 6 x 5 meters. In height, it has three floors. These are sufficient from a defense point of view due to the elevation caused by its location on a rock base. On the second floor, at a height of 13 meters, the rock tower has round-arched exits to the battlements of the city wall and embrasures to the flank and front directions. In addition, it should be mentioned that the shell tower open to the city is not quite rectangular. Rather, it stands obliquely on the base. This is due, among other things, to the change of direction of the city wall, which makes a bend to the south. From the architectural point of view, the rock tower is another shell tower, which is open on the city side and has only three massive walls. Nevertheless, the rock tower is particularly suitable for the protection of the city due to the extensive avoidance techniques. In addition to several embrasures, it has a circular battlement under the roof. This battlement was protected by a high roof. Today, the city wall is accessible from the rock tower to the former Niederburg gate tower. However, the Bauverein had to renovate or stabilize this section of the city fortification beforehand. Obviously, expensive lime was not used for the initial construction of this section and parts of the rock tower. Instead, mortar, which had become friable over the centuries, was used. The expansive view from this section of the city wall illustrates the choice of location for the rock tower. From here, the view extends down the Rhine to the Seven Virgins and up the Rhine to Kaub or Gutenfels Castle. In front of the city wall, the former city moat can still be recognized or guessed. This once ran from the Ochsenturm to the Mühlentorturm and thus additionally protected the northern suburb of Niederburg from local feuds. (Anne Gasper, University of Koblenz-Landau, 2016)

Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen

Felsenturm

From07.05.2024 until the 07.05.2040

Opening hours:
Monday: Clock
Tuesday: Clock
Wednesday: Clock
Thursday: Clock
Friday: Clock
Saturday: Clock
Sunday: Clock

Um diesen Inhalt zu sehen müssen Sie den Drittanbieter Cookies zustimmen.

55430 Oberwesel
Felsenturm
55430 Oberwesel

E-mail: info@oberwesel.de
Web: https://www.oberwesel.de

Plan route