Observation tower "Barbaraturm on the Steineberger Höhe".

A top vantage point in the Westerwald. And a special object: the winding tower of a mine was rebuilt at this exposed spot on the Steineberger Höhe. The rope drum and a small shaft house also complement the imposing steel structure and offer a very successful overall picture.

After 96 steps you have reached the viewing platform at a height of around 20 metres. The view is magnificent: a panoramic view of the wooded landscape with a direct view of Hachenburg Castle. On a clear day, the striking Siebengebirge mountains on the Rhine are within reach. A fresh breeze often blows from there - a well-known trademark of the Westerwald. It is invigorating and good to feel the healthy mountain air and breathe it in deeply.

The Barbara Tower completes the ensemble of the visitor mine at the Bindweide mine: a winding tower belongs to a mine! After the multimedia exhibition in the visitor centre of the visitor mine and the pit forge, the winding tower of a former mine in the Harz Mountains - 15 years after it was dismantled - could finally be set up here again. In a public naming competition, "Barbaraturm" clearly prevailed. Saint Barbara is the patron saint of miners.

After only a short time (inauguration in May 2014), the Barbara Tower has become a tourist attraction and a landmark for the new municipality of Betzdorf-Gebhardshain.

It is a landmark on the Druidensteig quality hiking trail, a starting point for hiking and cycling tours, a rest and picnic area and a meeting place. In addition, the tower is an object for action art. As the photos show, the Barbara Tower was lavishly illuminated by event organisers during the lighting campaign in June 2020, and the largest Advent wreath in the Westerwald adorned the top of the tower in the run-up to Christmas.

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