The Hochsimmer is a

volcanic cone Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and s ...

, , in the

Eifel Mountains The Eifel (; , ) is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Com ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It rises near Ettringen in the

Rhineland-Palatine Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...

county of

Mayen-Koblenz Mayen-Koblenz is a district (''Kreis'') in the north of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Ahrweiler (district), Ahrweiler, Neuwied (district), Neuwied, Westerwaldkreis, district-free Koblenz, Rhein-Lahn ...

. At the summit is an observation tower, the Hochsimmer Tower.

Geography

Location

The Hochsimmer rises within the

High Eifel The High Eifel ( or ''Hohe Eifel'') forms part of the Eifel Mountains in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The landscape here between Adenau, Mendig and Daun rises to a height of 747 m. The region is not to be confused with the weste ...

(

East Eifel The Eifel (; , ) is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Com ...

) around 1.7 km west-northwest of the village of Ettringen. Flowing past its western foot roughly from north to south is part of the middle reaches of the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

tributary, the

Nette Nette can refer to: Rivers * Nette (Innerste), a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, tributary to the Innerste * Nette (Hase), a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, tributary to the Hase * Nette (Middle Rhine), a river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, tri ...

. Through its valley runs the

Landesstraße ''Landesstraßen'' (singular: ''Landesstraße'' ) are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are road ...

83, which links Weibern to the northwest with

Mayen Mayen () is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz, Mayen-Koblenz District of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, additional settlements include Alzheim, Kürrenberg, ...

to the southeast. At the eastern foot of the hill is the L 82 road to

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

, and, at its southern foot is the village of St. Johann.

Height and summits

The Hochsimmer has two domed summits or ''

kuppen A ''Kuppe'' is the term used in German-speaking central Europe for a mountain or hill with a rounded summit that has no rock formation, such as a tor, on it. A range of such hills is called a ''Kuppengebirge''. In geology the term also refers to ...

'': the West Top () is 587.9 m high and the East Top () is 583.3 m high. About 600 metres southwest of the summit is the Kleiner Simmer (514.7 m).

Towers

On the east top of the Hochsimmer stands the 18-metre-high Hochsimmer Tower, an

observation tower An observation tower is a tower used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, and woo ...

built in 1909 and 1911. From its viewing platform there is a view of the

Eastern High Eifel The High Eifel ( or ''Hohe Eifel'') forms part of the Eifel Mountains in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The landscape here between Adenau, Mendig and Daun rises to a height of 747 m. The region is not to be confused with the wes ...

, the

Middle Rhine Basin The Middle Rhine Basin () is the central landscape region of the Middle Rhine in Germany and, along with the Limburg Basin, forms one of the biggest intra-montane lowland regions within the Rhenish Massif. The basin is divided into the valley bott ...

and of Ettringen; in good visibility, even

Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral (, , officially , English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia belonging to the Catholic Church. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archd ...

may be seen. About 30 metres northwest of the viewing tower is a

transmission tower A transmission tower (also electricity pylon, hydro tower, or pylon) is a tall structure, usually a lattice tower made of steel that is used to support an overhead power line. In electrical grids, transmission towers carry high-voltage transmis ...

Gallery

Hochsimmer-aus-der-naehe.jpg, The Hochsimmer from the south Hochsimmer-ostkuppe.jpg, The East Top from the south Hochsimmer.jpg, The Hochsimmer (right), seen from the

Hohe Acht The Hohe Acht () is the highest mountain () in the Eifel mountains of Germany. It is located on the boundary between the districts of Ahrweiler and Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate. Geography and geology The Hohe Acht is located in the H ...

HochsimmerNebelVHochstein1.jpg, View from Hochstein

References

External links

''Der Hochsimmer…''
, retrieved 28 November 2013, in ''Gemeinde Ettringen am Hochsimmer'', at ettringen-eifel.de. {{Authority control Cinder cones Volcanoes of Germany Mountains and hills of the Eifel Mountains and hills of Rhineland-Palatinate Mayen-Koblenz