Westturm, Youth hostel tower in Wangerooge, Germany

The Westturm is a historic structure on the East Frisian island of Wangerooge with origins from the late Middle Ages. It served maritime navigation for centuries as a reference point for ships traveling through the North Sea.

The first Westturm was the bell tower of the St. Nicholas church, built probably in the 14th century and collapsed around 1590 as the sea advanced. Its successor, erected between 1597 and 1602, was a 50-metre, five-storey building used as church, storm-flood refuge, prison and store; it survived the 1855 New Year flood and was blown up in 1914. The present tower was built in 1932 by volunteers of the Oldenburger Turnerbund as a copy of the 1602 building.

The tower has shaped how people see Wangerooge for centuries and serves visitors as a clear landmark in the landscape. Locals and travelers alike use it as a reference point to navigate the flat North Sea surroundings.

The tower is easy to reach on foot or by bicycle from Wangerooge village and offers good viewing points in the flat landscape. Information boards at various spots on the island explain its importance to maritime history and the island's development.

The tower's 15-metre-deep foundation of sheet-pile and concrete walls reaches the island's stable Geest subsoil. A coat of arms of the House of Oldenburg, mounted on the wall of the second floor, recalls the 1602 predecessor building.