Weilsberg, Mountain summit in Schmitten im Taunus, Germany.
Weilsberg is a mountain in the Taunus region with an elevation of about 701 meters, located within Schmitten im Taunus. It ranks among the highest peaks in the area and commands views across surrounding hills and valleys.
A ski jump was built on the Feldberg until 1953; in 1957, with help from US Army units stationed at Sandplacken, a new jump with a roughly 15-metre wooden tower was erected on the Weilsberg. It allowed jumps of about 40 metres, and at the opening event in February 1965 Manfred Schletting of SC Taunus reached 48.5 metres. Renovated in 1964 for 50,000 marks, it was closed in 1971 after a 16-year-old jumper fell and was paralysed; an inspection found construction faults and the jump was later dismantled. Only traces in the rock and part of the substructure remain.
The name Weilsberg refers to the Weil stream at the mountain's eastern foot; the Emsbach flows to the west. The Beilstein, a large schist rock about 600 m northwest of the summit, has an unclear etymology: one explanation says it looks like an axe (Beil) from the Zacken, another names a glassmaking master Heinrich, subject of a Count Georg von Beilstein. The Oberems sports club Zackenkicker takes its name from the Zacken rock, and the Taunuskrimi double episode "Im Wald" was filmed there.
A marked trail from the Weilsberg car park links the summit with the Zacken, a slate crag at 640 m about 500 m south of the Beilstein, and with the Beilstein itself. The route passes the remains of the old ski jump, where only traces in the rock and part of the substructure survive.
The dense forests covering the slopes create different hiking conditions throughout the seasons and notably change the natural environment. Wildlife and plant life vary greatly depending on elevation and time of year, which observant visitors often notice during their walks.
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