Bilstein, Mountain summit in Kaufunger Wald, Germany

Bilstein is a mountain summit in the Kaufunger Wald region, standing at approximately 641 meters and ranking as the second highest peak after Hirschberg. It is topped with a stone observation tower and surrounded by extensive forest trails that are accessible to hikers.

A wooden observation tower was built in 1869 to provide visitors with views from the summit. This structure was replaced by the stone tower known as Bilsteinturm in 1891, which remains standing today.

The name Bilstein comes from the Old High German bilu, meaning to spring up or jut out, which the literary historian August Friedrich Christian Vilmar applied to this steeply rising rock. The summit hut, the Bilsteinhütte, serves food beside the tower, and the mountain is the highest point of the Bilstein Marathon held since 2011.

The summit can be reached via forest trails starting from the nature parking area, with a hike of about 2,5 kilometers on gravel paths. The terrain is forested with marked routes, so visitors should wear sturdy footwear and come prepared to navigate the area.

The steel structure added in 1960 raised the Bilsteinturm to 20.65 metres; the platform itself sits far higher, on a basalt knoll 641 metres above sea level. From it, the Brocken in the Harz and Göttingen to the north are visible on clear days, while the Hohe Meißner stands out to the east-southeast.