Feldberg, Mountain summit in Black Forest, Germany

Feldberg is the highest summit in Baden-Württemberg, rising to 1493 meters (4898 feet) above sea level in the Black Forest. The three wooded, rounded peaks lie close together and form the wide summit plateau.

In 1813, six wooden huts stood near the summit, providing shelter for cattle herders and travelers before stone buildings replaced them. The installation of Germany's first patented ski lift in the early 1900s turned the area into a center for emerging winter sports.

The name comes from the Middle High German term for a bare mountain slope, describing the treeless summits above the forest line. These open high areas are now used by hikers and skiers who have sought recreation here for more than a century.

A network of marked trails leads to the summit, including a roughly two-kilometer footpath from the upper terminal of the cable car. The routes pass through forest and across open high ground, where wind and weather can change quickly.

The summit plateau holds a stone rondell with granite blocks; a plaque of the Schwarzwaldverein marks 1493 m, while the central block's orientation table reads "Feldberg 1495 M". The highest ground point, 1494.2 m, lies on a low mound about 20 m west of the Friedrich-Luise-Turm, possibly raised artificially.