Backöfele, Wooden observation tower at Schneeberg summit, Germany
The Backöfele stands 14 meters tall on the highest point of Schneeberg mountain, reaching 1,051 meters above sea level in the Fichtelgebirge region.
Following a 1498 defense directive by Margrave Friedrich, the original tower formed part of a medieval observation network protecting the Brandenburg-Kulmbach territory.
Local residents named the structure Backöfele, meaning small baking oven, as people reportedly baked bread at this location during the Thirty Years War.
The tower remains accessible only by foot or bicycle through marked trails, with visitors required to follow nature reserve regulations during their ascent.
The current structure, rebuilt in 2017 using oak wood donated by Bavarian State Forests, replaced the 1926 tower that stood for 90 years.
GPS coordinates: 50.05242,11.85348
Latest update: March 3, 2025 17:01
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