Wüstegarten
View from Jesberg to desert garden with basement forest tower in the foreground castle Jesberg
The Desert Garden is with 675.3 meters above sea level. NN is the highest mountain in the Western Hessian Mountain and Lower Lands, the basement Forest, the Nature Park basement Edersee and the Schwalm- Eder -Kreis in Northern Hesse ( Germany ).
On the hilltop, surrounded by the ring wall of the former " Heidelburg ", is the observation tower basement forest tower.
Geography
The Desert Garden is located in the south of the cellar Forest on the border of the municipalities Jesberg in the Schwalm -Eder-Kreis and Haina in Waldeck- Frankenberg. It is part of the Natural Park basement Edersee. The nearest place Haddenberg, a district of Haina, located on the west side. To the northeast of the mountain located parts of the High cellar belonging to the municipality of Bad Arolsen and the city of Bad Wildungen.
The desert garden is bounded by the left Schwalm inflows Urff in the north and Gilsa the south and east, and from the left Gilsa inflow Norde in the southwest. Beyond and south of Gilsa the Oberhessische threshold connects with the ridge Hemberg.
Nature regions
The desert garden, together with the subsequent secondary peaks located northeast Hunsrück ( 635.9 m) and Sauklippe ( 584.4 m) the ridge " cellar " (or " High Keller" called ). This is part of the natural space Jeust and Keller ( No. 344.00 ) in the geography major unit group West Hessian mountain country and sinks ( number 34), main unit Kellerwaldsteig ( number 344) and subunit Keller High Forest ( 344.0 ).
Geology
Parts of the ridge are composed of quartzite with cliffs and boulder fields. The rock formations on and around the mountain include the " mousetrap ", the " hiking cliff ", the " Hunsrück ", the "Birch stone " and the " Exelmerstein ".
Reserves
The Desert Garden is part of the existing since 1971 and 233.00 km ² large nature preserve Kellerwaldsteig ( LSG-Nr. 329111 ). The mountain is located in the Fauna- Flora-Habitat Area " High cellar " ( FFH-Nr. 4920-304 ).
History
That the desert garden was visited long ago by people who can be seen on its summit in the remains of a large castle wall. The stone wall can be seen in the context of disputes between the Conradines against the dukes of Saxony liudolfingischen, first as a Carolingian count, then as owner of the kingship under Conrad I., . It comes with a high probability of the 9th century AD The oval measures 200 mx 140 m. The Wall is still preserved, about 7 m wide. In 1963 he was excavated and studied archaeologically. It was found that the stones form an outer and inner front. The wall was originally 4 m wide. Wooden A - or superstructures could not be detected. Also finds which indicate an earlier settlement of the place, were not made. A flared at the entrance of the town hall Jesberger quartzite block with hemispherical recess to have been found on the summit, and is often interpreted as evidence of prehistoric use of the desert garden as a place of worship or place of sacrifice.
1475 Desert Garden was first mentioned as the wuste garden. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Heidelburg called rampart with the names Heulburgk, Hulnburgk, Hedelberg and Heidelburg is mentioned in writings and documents.
Keller Forest Tower
Tower Description
At the top of the desert garden is since autumn 2003, the 28 m high basement forest tower, which was officially opened on 9 May 2004. It replaces the 18 -meter high observation tower from 1971.
The basement forest tower was built of durable larch heartwood. It has 123 steps. Because of its deliberately flexible but sturdy construction manner in diagonal pliers executed double - design is the tower after in crosswinds or when subjected to lateral buckling. The visitor notices this by a slight sway.
At the base of the observation tower were outdoor benches and tables set up. The ground floor of the tower serves as a refuge, in the other benches and information boards about the flora, fauna, geology and history of the basement Forest are available.
In 2006, the first cracks in the laminated beams showed. From April 2009, then entering the tower was banned for safety reasons. Once in May 2010 came a new report to the conclusion that the stability of the tower is guaranteed, since it must again be entered up to 20 people simultaneously. A dispute over who is responsible for the damage or structural defects, is still pending.
View opportunity
From the viewing platform (. M height to 25 or 700 m above sea level ) has a unique panoramic view:
To the north you look across the basement to the forest Eder heights that rise high in Traddelkopf to 626.4 m. To the northeast you look for Hawk Forest, with the TV tower on the Vinegar Hill and Hercules on the Karlberg. In addition, the Kaufunger Forest and the High Meissner can be seen, and in particularly clear visibility conditions you can spot with binoculars even the Brocken in the Harz Mountains. Also to the northeast is in the foreground, the confluence of the Gilsa in the Schwalm and the idea behind the ( 432.7 m) standing observation tower on the top Altenburg.
Southeasterly direction rises the crumpled, on the southeast and south of the Rhön Vogelsberg at which you look out over the mountain range located in the foreground Hemberg. In very clear weather you can see in the south-southwest the Great Feldberg in Taunus. In the southwest the Westerwald lies. To the west you look past the TV towers on the Lohr for Rothaargebirge, the High Sauerland and Upland.
Exelmerstein with summit cross and book
Mousetrap ( rock formation on the western slopes of the desert garden )
Keller forest tower from afar
View from the Cellar forest tower to the west
Sign on Rise of the cellar forest tower
Leisure and sports facilities
The leisure and sports facilities at Desert Garden include: mountain biking, Nordic walking, horseback riding, cross country skiing and hiking.
About the desert garden and over run on Kellerwaldsteig tower sections of Kellerwaldsteig (156 km hiking trail in the Nature Park Keller - Lake Eder) and students path (252 km hiking trail that leads from Göttingen Kassel to Giessen). The Lulluspfad (184 km long distance hiking trail that connects Lake Eder the Rennsteig ) crosses the High cellar in its northeastern part.
Hiking trails start, for example, or at Densberg, Jesberg, Mountain freedom and Haddenberg. The shortest climb to the desert garden and cellar woods tower begins to close Haddenberg the parking lot. From there to the tower are about 3 km through extensive beech forest, but also passing back down to conifers. Here, about 225 m height difference to overcome. Take the path " B4 " or the " Kellerwaldsteig " (K). As you climb ( about 45 minutes ) to get to a wooden hut workers, the rock formations " Exelmerstein " and " Mousetrap " and the ring wall over on the ridge. In the lower and middle area of the mountain you walk on a wide path at the top on a path.
Approach
The basement forest tower on the shortest path can be visited as follows: Those who come from the north or south of the B 3, bends in Jesberg or Gilston from the main road from. From Jesberg you drive over Densberg after Schönstein or Gilston on Moischeid after Schönstein. Then you reach over Dodenhausen the village Haddenberg and flexing on a hill at the highest point of the road L 3296 right into a parking lot from. On a dirt road takes you to walk to the edge of the forest to tackle from there on the marked trail to reach the summit.