- for all kinds of weather
- for school classes
- for families
- for individual guests
- Pets allowed
- Free admission
- free of charge / accessible at any time
Smoke Stack on the Bastenberg (Owl Tower, Chimney)
Industrial Heritage | Nature Sign/Information Center | Information Point
The smoke stack on the Bastenberg inBestwig-Ramsbeck is a relic from the mining era. The environmentally harmful gases produced during ore smelting were vented through this brick chimney up to the Bastenberg. The chimney is not accessible to visitors. However, at the base of the chimney there is a rest area with seating and a good view of the Valmetal valley.
Address
Smoke Stack on the Bastenberg (Owl Tower, Chimney)
Buchenweg 3
59909 Bestwig
Properties:
The smoke stack on the Bastenberg inBestwig-Ramsbeck is a relic from the mining era. The stack is not open to visitors. However, at the base of the stack there is a rest area with seating and a good view of the Valmetal valley.
The stack is approximately 20 meters high.
During Advent, a star shines at its top; during Easter, a cross; and the rest of the year, a flag flies atop the stack.
Every year on Ascension Day (Father’s Day), the Stack Festival takes place at the stack.
The R2 circular hiking trail (starting in Ramsbeck), the Bestwig Panorama Trail, and the Ramsbeck Mining Trail all pass directly by the chimney. A recommended hike is the 12-km-long Ramsbeck Mining Loop.
The environmentally harmful gases produced during ore smelting were vented through this brick chimney up to the Bastenberg. The sulfur dioxide contained in the exhaust gases combines with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric acid, a substance harmful to the environment. To prevent this, this chimney was built with two flues over a 20-meter section to condense as much sulfur dioxide and atmospheric moisture as possible on the cold walls. The aim was to prevent “acid rain.”
A webcam provides live images from the top of the chimney:
https://sauerland.camera/?site=webcam&cam=ramsbeck
Directions
The smoke stack is located right along the popular Ramsbeck Mining Trail and is accessible only on foot.