The Königstuhl (), is a high hill in the

Odenwald The Odenwald () is a low mountain range in the German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Location The Odenwald is located between the Upper Rhine Plain with the Bergstraße and the ''Hessisches Ried'' (the northeastern section ...

Mountains and in the city of

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

, in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

state of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

. The Königstuhl summit allows visitors views of the city of Heidelberg and the

Neckar The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis near Schwenn ...

river. On days with good conditions the view extends to the Pfaelzerwald (Palatinate Forest), which is roughly 40–50 km away. The hill is linked to

Altstadt ''Altstadt'' is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ''Alt ...

, by the Heidelberger Bergbahn, a two section historic

funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...

railway that stops at

Heidelberg Castle Heidelberg Castle (german: Heidelberger Schloss) is a ruin in Germany and landmark of Heidelberg. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demoli ...

, located on the lower slopes of the Königstuhl, the Molkenkur restaurant/hotel, and the ultimate stop at the mountain top which host a restaurant, an entertainment park for kids and various walking paths. The

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy The Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, MPIA) is a research institute of the Max Planck Society (MPG). It is located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany near the top of the Königstuhl, adjacent to the ...

is located near the summit of the Königstuhl, as is the historic Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl

astronomical observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

, established in 1898. Between 1912 and 1957,

Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth (4 April 1892 in Heidelberg – 6 May 1979 in Heidelberg) was a German astronomer and a prolific discoverer of 395 minor planets. Scientific career From 1912 to 1957, Reinmuth was working as an astronomer at the Heide ...

discovered almost 400

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...

s whilst working from this observatory. Several telecommunications facilities are located on the Königstuhl, including the

Fernsehturm Heidelberg The Fernsehturm Heidelberg is a transmission tower for FM and DVB-T on the Königstuhl hill of Heidelberg at . It was the property of the City of Heidelberg and sold to the SWR. Because of its exposed location on the crest of the hill the tower ...

(Digital TV (DVB-T), Radio and Microwave), the

Telecom Telecommunication Tower Heidelberg Telecom Telecommunication Tower Heidelberg (german: Fernmeldeturm Heidelberg) is a 102 meter tall (originally 80m, raised to 102m in the 1980s) telecommunication tower built of reinforced concrete in the late 1950s on the mountain Königsstuhl near ...

(Microwave and FM) and the now inactive

Telecommunication Tower of US-Forces Heidelberg Telecommunication Tower of US-Forces Heidelberg is an 80 metre tall telecommunication tower of the US Army in Europe on the mountain Königsstuhl, which is part of the City of Heidelberg at . The Telecommunication Tower of US-Army in Europe is on ...

(Microwave). File:Königstuhl funicular station.jpg, Approaching the Königstuhl funicular station File:Heidelberg from the Königstuhl.jpg, Heidelberg from the Königstuhl

References

Geography of Heidelberg Mountains and hills of Baden-Württemberg Tourist attractions in Heidelberg {{Heidelberg-geo-stub