Grunewald Tower, Television tower in Grunewald district, Berlin, Germany
Grunewald Tower is a television tower and scenic viewpoint standing about 55 meters tall above the Grunewald forest in western Berlin. The observation platform at roughly 36 meters height offers views across forest areas and the Havel river valley landscape.
In 1897 the Teltow district council, prompted by Landrat Ernst von Stubenrauch, decided to build a memorial tower on the Karlsberg for the 100th birthday of Wilhelm I, who died in 1888. Franz Schwechten's design was approved by Kaiser Wilhelm II on 10 March 1897; construction began that October and the tower opened on 9 June 1899 as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm. It was renamed Grunewaldturm on 15 September 1948.
Sailors on the nearby Unterhavel know the tower for the "four-window view": when all four windows of the platform line up during a sail, tradition calls for a toast, often with an alcoholic drink. The tower also carries two inscriptions and coats of arms: the Havel side shows the red Brandenburg eagle, the forest side the black Prussian eagle.
The viewing platform at 36 metres is reached by 204 steps; there is no lift, so allow time for the climb. The tower stands at Havelchaussee 61 on the Karlsberg, on the western edge of the Grunewald forest above the Havel. A restaurant and beer garden are at the tower.
Sailors on the nearby Unterhavel know the tower for the "four-window view": when all four windows of the platform line up so the rear ones show through the front ones, tradition calls for a toast, often with an alcoholic drink. The tower has also served as a cell tower since the 1990s.
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