Limes Tower on the Wintersberg

The foundations of the watch tower on the Wintersberg were discovered in the 1850s. In honour of Emperor Wilhelm I – according to the Latin inscription – citizens of Bad Ems built the reconstruction. Thus it is the oldest reconstruction of a Roman watch tower. It is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site and a special cultural monument. Watch tower 1 of the section south of the River Lahn stood in the place of the present tower. Its walls formed a square of 5.50 metres each side. They were 76 centimetres thick. The tower was about 5 to 8 metres high and had a balcony from which you could communicate by bugles or signal fire. 5 to 8 soldiers were on duty here. From the tower the soldiers had a clear view on the Lahn valley with the ford then and the ascending “Limes” up to the Westerwald on the opposite side. Next to the tower there is the restaurant “Wintersberg” with a panorama terrace. If requested meals can be cooked faithfully Roman on a forge in the tower.