Bessunger Hausberg - Ludwigshöhe / DA 🚴‍♂️

Bessungen's local mountain – DA Ludwigshöhe 🚴‍♂️One of the most popular excursion destinations for the people of Darmstadt and Bessungen 🚴‍♂️
Supposedly, a soldier discovered the beautiful view on a September day in 1816, and Grand Duke Ludwig I later learned of it. He had a path built because he liked the height so much. In 1818, a view of DA was cleared and a pavilion was built, where the Chausseehauswirt (Chausseehaus landlord) Christoph Faust – immortalized by his mention in the "Datterich" (a German newspaper) – opened an inn in 1838. In 1882, a donation of 17,000 marks to the Beautification Association from an initially unknown patron – the merchant Wilhelm Schwab – made the construction of an observation tower possible. After Grand Duke Ludwig IV gave his consent and assured that the Grand Ducal Asset Management would cover the maintenance costs, the tower was built and officially inaugurated on September 25, 1882. In 1887, tenant Wilhelm Emmel, who was also the innkeeper of the Chausseehaus, opened a restaurant and hotel. When this burned down in 1898, a new building was constructed in 1901. Hotelier Wilhelm Wenz even used the slogan "Krankenort Ludwigshöhe" to attract guests to his hotel, which had 35 beds and around 800 seats. Concerts were often held at weekends. During the Second World War, the buildings on Ludwigshöhe, which housed an air defense control center, were attacked several times and were largely demolished by American soldiers after the war. Since 1976, the group of architects, designed by Ernst Bickel, Heiner Aßmuth (originals), Heinz Reinhardt and others, has taken on the task of renovating the tower. The "Ludwigshöhe Citizens' Action" (Bürgeraktion Ludwigshöhe), founded in 1900, began redesigning and revitalizing Bessungen's local hill. In 1982, the Ludwigshöhe Tower, restored by the citizens' action group, celebrated its 100th anniversary. 🚴‍♂️darmstadt-stadtlexikon.de/l/ludwigshoehe.html