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 ...

, , in the

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

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It rises near Ettringen in the Rhineland-Palatine county of

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

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

Geography

Location

The Hochsimmer rises within the

High Eifel The High Eifel (german: Hocheifel (Ost) 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 ...

(

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

) 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 ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

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, tr ...

. 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 roads t ...

83, which links Weibern to the northwest with

Mayen Mayen is a town in the 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, Hausen-Betzing, ...

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

Bell A bell 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 made by an inte ...

, 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 ...

'': 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 structure 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, an ...

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

Middle Rhine Basin The Middle Rhine Basin (german: Mittelrheinische Becken) 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 i ...

and of Ettringen; in good visibility, even

Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral (german: Kölner Dom, officially ', English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese o ...

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

transmission tower A transmission tower, also known as an electricity pylon or simply a pylon in British English and as a hydro tower in Canadian English, is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. In electrical ...

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