The Viktorshöhe is a hill, 585 metres high, in the Harz mountains of central Germany

Central Germany (geography)

In geography, central Germany describes the areas surrounding the central point of modern-day Germany.The town of Niederdorla, in the state of Thuringia, claims to be the most central town in Germany...

. It lies on the Ramberg massif

Ramberg (Harz)

The Ramberg, also called the Ramberg Massif, is a granite massif, about 30 square kilometres in area, in the eastern part of the Harz Mountains of central Germany. It is located in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt and lies southwest of Quedlinburg, between Friedrichsbrunn, Gernrode, Harzgerode...

, about 3 kilometres northeast of Friedrichsbrunn

Friedrichsbrunn

Friedrichsbrunn is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 23 November 2009, it is part of the town Thale.-History:...

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History

Even before 1900 there was a privately-owned inn and observation platform on the summit that had become a popular destination for day trippers. At the end of the 1970s the building complex became a company-owned holiday home for the Draht- und Seilwerke Rothenburg (Rothenburg Wire and Cable Company). The next-door restaurant was a favourite walking and excursion halt. Points of interest were the wooden observation tower

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. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...

, which has now become very dilapidated and is no longer accessible. The buildings on the Viktorshöhe became empty during the 1990s and are gradually falling into ruin. The remaining furniture lies scattered about the area and gives an impression of destruction and neglect, reminiscent of war.

Surrounding area

In the vicinity of the Viktorshöhe there are several tourist attractions: the Große Teufelsmühle

Große Teufelsmühle

The Große Teufelsmühle is a natural monument on the Viktorshöhe near Friedrichsbrunn in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The name means "Great Devil's Mill". It is a tor, a granite rock formation that displays typical spheroidal or "mattress" weathering. The Große Teufelsmühle is a protected...

, the Bergrat Müller Teich (Teich = pond), the Bear Monument

Bear Monument

The Bear Monument is a monument to bears in the Harz mountains of central Germany. It stands by a forest track and walking trail in woods not far from the Bremer Teich and the Viktorshöhe hill and marks the spot where the last bear was killed in 1696 in the Anhalt Forest. The monument was erected...

, the ruined castle of Erichsberg, the Bremer Teich

Bremer Teich

The Bremer Teich is an historic reservoir that lies south of the two villages of Bad Suderode and Gernrode in the Harz Mountains of Germany, and is used as a recreation area . It impounds the Bremer Graben, an artificial channel fed by water from the Bode and the Saale...

campsite and the Erichburger Teich.