Safety comes first
Tower on the Spitzen Stein temporarily dismantled.

Structures along hiking paths are regularly checked to ensure the safety of users. This includes the observation tower on the Spitzen Stein, one of the most impressive viewpoints in the region.

During the last inspection, optical irregularities were found in the steel tower construction that, according to experts, undoubtedly require closer examination. This investigation cannot be conducted on-site; it necessitated the immediate dismantling of the tower for inspection and resolution of the deficiencies.
Observation tower with historical background featuring views of the Loreley, the Sterrenberg, Liebenstein, Katz, Maus, Gutenfels, and Pfalzgrafenstein castles, among others.

History / Geography
Excerpt from the St. Goarer Kreisblatt dated October 9, 1839
“The path carried us higher and higher until suddenly a ridge appeared before us, its slope covered with quartz rock towers, and at the top stood, like the ruins of a mighty castle, the Spitzen Stein – before us. Surprised, we hurried toward it and found immense masses of quartz rock, arranged in irregular blocks, forming peculiar shapes.”

History / Optical Telegraph
Optical telegraphy for transmitting messages based on the Chappe system
The French technician Claude Chappe developed a technically feasible optical telegraph device during the time of the French Revolution, based on signal transmission using pivoting signal arms. Two pivoting crossbars with two additional pivoting bars at each end were attached to a tall mast, allowing for the signaling of different letters based on a code depending on the position.
The telegraph stations were situated between nine and twelve kilometers apart, depending on the terrain, so that the signals could be unambiguously recognized with a telescope. Napoléon Bonaparte used this flexible and rapid system for communication with various military units and possibly also for organizing the entire Rhine Province.
In 1794, a telegraph line was established between Paris and Lille, bridging 270 km with 22 stations. The transmission time for a letter/a coded message took about 2 minutes!

History / Painting
The German-English painter Carl Haag, born in Erlangen in 1820 and died in Oberwesel in 1915, depicted not only Oberwesel motifs but also the surrounding area.
Watercolor “At the Spitzenstein near Oberwesel” August 17 & 18, 1852
National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, Ulster
The painting site “Spitzen Stein” inspired Carl Haag to create a special work of landscape painting, in which he stylized and emphasized the uniqueness of the natural monument without any embellishments.