Taufstein (Vogelsberg)

View from Horst to the baptismal font in the center

The baptismal font is 773 m above sea level. NN is the highest peak in the Vogelsberg. It is located in the district of Breungeshain, a district of Scots in the Vogelsberg. Despite a considerable dominance of 44 km and a saddle height of 406 m of the baptismal font is obtained as a single peak on barely because he is little emerges from the total survey of the Vogelsberg.

Bismarck Tower

The used as a lookout tower 22 m high Bismarck tower was built 1907-1910 to a design by architect Ludwig Hoffmann of 1906.

It was preceded by two wooden towers, originally built by the Central European arc measurement Commission and the General Staff for surveying purposes, of which the former was in 1883 purchased by Vogelsberger heights club as a lookout. Both had to be canceled in 1898 due to disrepair again. After the foundation of first 3,000 marks by the VHC Zweigverein Lauterbach for a stone observation tower in 1900, the Hirzenhainer club branch of the VHC proposed to build the new tower as Bismarck tower. Then, a building committee was established, chaired by Hugo Buderus, who also participated significantly in the financing of the building. On his commitment a commemorative plaque inside the tower.

Lead to the observation deck two spiral staircases of stone or metal, as well as a concrete staircase with 101 steps. The view from the Bismarck Tower is to the west, north and east completely free and covers extensive parts of Hesse far into the adjacent highlands. To the south the view is obstructed by houses. Like many other Bismarck towers has also. Upon the baptismal font on a (now unused ) fire bowl above the viewing platform to ignite a fire at fixed and memorials

The tower was last renovated in 1997. He is also depicted in the coat of arms in 1952 conferred the existing county until 1972 Budingen, whose highest point was the baptismal font.

Nature reserve

The reserve was established in 1906 and left to themselves. Worth mentioning are the boulders of basalt on the northern mountain slope. Many ferns are found in the jungle.

Boniface wells

The Boniface wells located a few meters southeast of Bismarck tower. The legend here is to Boniface, who have " Apostle of the Germans " preached ( information board ). The fountain is actually just a " stone border ." A source does not exist here.

Environment

About the summit of the baptismal font, the Rhine -Weser watershed runs. About 3 km north of the mountain is a high moor, on the edge of the Nidda springs. One kilometer southwest of the baptismal font is the tourist magnet of the upper forest, Hoherodskopf.

Below the summit was during the Cold War, a radio station ( Radio Relay Site ) of the U.S. Army. It was almost completely built in the 1990s.