On Idarkopf Mountain

The Idarkopf mountain lies above the town of Rhaunen, at the very eastern end of the Idarwald, and is visible from far away because of this exposed location. If you approach it from the east, i.e. from Kirchberg, it looks like a mighty block, but its forested flanks drop gently. This impression is confirmed as you get closer. For example, at the high point on the road from the village of Oberkirn to Rhaunen, where the view opens out, or near the village of Gösenroth, where you are directly opposite the mountain ridge. Idarkopf, however, is not a mountain with a well-defined peak, and it is not easy to determine its true summit without help. Fortunately, there is an observation tower here, whose highest platform marks the highest assessable point. On the way up there are a great number of stairs to deal with; so many that on one of my visits a party of schoolchildren struggled to keep an accurate count as they repeatedly climbed up and down, announcing varying results. Whatever the total, a the breathtaking view from the top makes the climb well worthwhile.

The observation tower, built entirely of wood, was erected in 1980 to replace an earlier, 70-year-old tower. This new lookout tower was severely damaged by fire in 2018 and was therefore closed for quite a long period of time. In December 2022, however, a new build was ceremoniously opened; again a wooden structure with exactly 170 steps according to construction notes.

Above Stipshausen is the winter sport centre "Idarkopf" with a 1.1 km downhill run and two ski lifts. The cross-country skiing trail leads from here through the Idarwald mountain range to the winter sports centre on Erbeskopf (818 m), where a further 40 km of cross-country skiing trail quickens the heart rate of every cross-country fan. On Erbeskopf there are no fewer than four ski lifts, to cope with large numbers of visitors on the three downhill runs. There are toboggan runs in the towns of Allenbach and Morbach as well as in the centres on Idarkopf and Erbeskopf.