ユーリッヒの天然記念物・トップ20

The tower bears a weather vane inscribed with "Monte Sophia" and, together with the Roman Tower, is one of the prominent viewpoints on the reclaimed Sophienhöhe, which was once used as a spoil heap for the Hambach open-cast mine. The HöllerHorn reaches approximately 291.5 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest points on the Sophienhöhe, but it lies just below the summit level of the Roman Tower (301.8 meters above sea level).

A sign at the site explains that the Celts considered trees important living beings and attributed special properties to them. The Tree of Life Circle takes up this concept and presents different tree species, each symbolically assigned to a specific time of year, similar to a Celtic tree calendar.

Personally, the term "mammoth forest" seems a bit exaggerated to me, as there are a few isolated redwood trees among the other trees. Nevertheless, the path, which deviates from the usual wide paths on Sophienhöhe, was a nice little change.

This recently reclaimed section of the Sophienhöhe, an artificially created hill on the edge of the open-cast lignite mine, reaches far back into the history of the European continent and the formerly Celtic-influenced civilization. Those interested in the topic can learn a great deal here about the various tree symbols of Celtic culture.

The Mühlenerft was a dead arm for a long time. Only after the open-cast mine was recultivated was it reconnected to the Erft, which had been diverted several times.

Large parts of this sandy area still lie fallow today. A wooden tower with a weather vane is set up here, which is modeled on a late medieval winding tower of an ore mine.

Very beautiful river landscape at Alt-Kaster. The Kasterer Mühlerft branches off the Erft near Bedburg Broich, flows past the Kaster industrial park and the village of Alt-Kaster, around Lake Kaster and then south of the Frimmerdorferhöhe back into the Erft.

A small circular path, off the main path, leads through a mammoth forest.