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Landkreis Mayen-Koblenz

Rhens

Witch Tower (Scharfer Tower) Rhens

Landkreis Mayen-Koblenz

Rhens

Witch Tower (Scharfer Tower) Rhens

Highlight • Historical Site

Witch Tower (Scharfer Tower) Rhens

Recommended by 68 hikers out of 73

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: UNESCO Welterbe Kulturlandschaft Oberes Mittelrheintal

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Location: Rhens, Landkreis Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

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Best Hikes to Witch Tower (Scharfer Tower) Rhens

4.6

(378)

1,637

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1. Rheintalblick Shelter – Wolfsdelle Hollow Way loop from Rhens

11.4km

03:20

310m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.8

(40)

138

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2. View of the Boppard Rhine Bend loop from Rhens

15.3km

04:16

290m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.7

(35)

168

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3. Boppard Via Ferrata – View of the Boppard Rhine Bend loop from Rhens

20.2km

06:14

600m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

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Tips

PeterH65 (a.k.a. "Waldorf")

September 27, 2021

"The most distinctive part of the city wall is the Scharfe Turm, actually the" Scharfenturm "on the Rhine. It was once used as a surveillance and customs tower, later it was used as a prison and torture chamber.
The Sharp Tower in Rhens is also called the Hexenturm.

It was built in 1396 and is located directly on the Rhine. It has a total of four floors, including the tower platform.
It is the most prominent part of the city wall. It was once used as a surveillance and customs tower, later it was used as a prison (1629-1648). In 1645/46 ten "witches and sorcerers" were beheaded by the executioner after painful imprisonment. (regionalgeschichte.net) "
romantischer-rhein.de/a-scharfer-turm-rhens

regionalgeschichte.net/mittelrhein/rhens/kulturdenkmaeler/stadtbefestigung.html

Translated by Google •

🇺🇦Uwe 🏃‍♂️1098🏍

June 26, 2022

This complex was built as part of the city wall between 1396 and 1418 in the immediate vicinity of the Rhine. The building has four floors, including the tower platform. Its original use as a watch and customs tower resulted from its direct and very favorable location on the Rhine. From its platform, the guards could see the entire shipping traffic between Braubach and Lahnstein. Boatmen who were unwilling to pay could be imprisoned in the basement. Here was a dungeon that was only accessible through a hatch, the so-called "fear hole".

In its 600-year history, this was not the building's only use. Due to its direct connection to the remains of the Wackelburg, it is reasonable to assume that the tower was also used as a keep, i.e. as the last place of refuge for the castle.

Its best-known and most tragic use was as a torture and execution chamber during the Rhens witch trials in 1628-1630 and 1645-1647. During this time women and men who were notorious as witches and warlocks were imprisoned here. Ten of them were executed by beheading. From this story comes the name Witch Tower, by which the tower is better known among the citizens of the region.
Source: kuladig.de/Object-View/O-99730-20140816-2

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Veronika 2020

August 12, 2023

Part of the historic city wall of Rhens

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Elevation 80 m

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Location: Rhens, Landkreis Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

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Witch Tower (Scharfer Tower) Rhens

1. Rheintalblick Shelter – Wolfsdelle Hollow Way loop from Rhens

2. View of the Boppard Rhine Bend loop from Rhens

3. Boppard Via Ferrata – View of the Boppard Rhine Bend loop from Rhens

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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