"Approved," Kaiser Wilhelm II wrote on the construction plan that was presented to him on April 12, 1910.

Finally, the original wooden framework on the 590 meter high Herzberg could be replaced by a stone tower.

Just one year later, the 25 meter high viewing bastion, which has been clearly visible in the woods above Bad Homburg, was inaugurated.

Seen from a distance, one might mistake it for a replica of an early medieval tower castle.

In fact, according to Kaiser Wilhelm's will, it refers to Roman times.

With his penchant for symbolism and historical exaggeration, it was important to him to see the building as a kind of exclamation mark for his great deed of having rebuilt the neighboring Saalburg fort.

Accordingly, the design turned out, which Wilhelm first approved,

Local materials were used with care.

For the masonry, only quartzite – from a quarry – came into question.

Below the Herzberg summit it was open, but then one of the mightiest rock formations in the Taunus would have been destroyed with the marble stone.

The sloping plates impressively allow the earth's forces to be felt, by which it was liquefied, compressed and folded up.

Without the hardening effect of the silicic acid that penetrated, there would of course no longer be a Taunus mountain range - neither this monolith nor the no less imposing Elisabethenstein further down.

The rock is named after the English Princess Elisabeth, who married in 1818.

With her husband, Landgrave Friedrich VI.

Joseph, they completed what the previous ruling couple had begun in 1770.

They were inspired to turn Homburg into a horticultural work of art.

From the castle park to the so-called fir forest, 15 areas were designed in the "English" landscape style.

Directions

The "Hirschgarten" wildlife park in the forest near Dornholzhausen, which is also accessible by bus, is a good "base station" for climbing Herzberg and Marmorstein - there is also a larger car park here - although it makes no difference whether you walk around the enclosure at the beginning or end and runs through the Landgravial Garden.

The dead straight approach continues via the Hirschgarten, first to the turning circle of the bus terminus ("city edge recreation"), then as Elisabethenschneise.

It is named after the English princess, just like the "stone" that will soon be passed.

A marking is still not required.

Only when we reach the Homburger Hütte, which is made of light wood, do we take our sights on the Black Boar nature park sign immediately behind it on the right.

His "trail" shortens the corner, hits a downward-pointing forest path and leaves it immediately to the left - before the right-hand serpentine.

You now follow sweeping curves on a moderate path to the foot of the Bleibeskopf, which is occupied by a prehistoric ring wall.

Tragically, the steep east face has regained its former treeless appearance.

Even on this cultural monument, huge areas were cut down in the fight against the bark beetle;

only a few, bizarrely grown beeches and oaks were allowed to remain.

Scattered trunks are now blocking the ascent towards the Bleibeskopf from the distinctive bend to the right.

Therefore continue slightly downhill there, but only 200 meters to the appearance of the blue line.

Climbed the slope with him at an acute angle to the left.

The extensive felling takes away the protection of the remaining stands, and so we have to avoid some fallen trees after the recent weather events.

However, the inspection of that southern route has always been a bit bumpy.

All the more you can look forward to the view and stop at the Herzberg on the demanding uphill.

The tower can be climbed except on Mondays.

The terrace of the inn, which offers a seasonal menu, also opens up a view over the sea of ​​houses poured into the plain.

To the left of this, it now follows the red deer markings from the summit area down into the forest, which is intact here, where it becomes very steep until it turns left into a level path a good 500 meters lower.

If you want to skip the marble stone, you can also descend straight down.

After about 400 meters, the deer meets other signs such as X and T. Together they walk straight ahead for a short while, before turning right into another wasteland.

The marble stone already shines below, a name coined by ignorance or modesty.

A huge, multi-level rocky landscape opens up on the edge of the steep slope, which in turn benefits from unhindered views up to the mountain range of Odenwald, Spessart and Vogelsberg.

In the lower area you switch to the blue line.

First it curves downwards around trunks and shrubbery before changing to a wide forest path on the right.

The direction remains the same even if the line is replaced after 250 meters by the red cross sign that has appeared before.

Once we have passed the Luther oak tree, which was planted for the 300th anniversary of the posting of the theses in 1817, the crossing is not far away from which we can choose: either continue straight ahead to the bus terminus or turn left with the signet red deer buck head to the rear of the Hirschgarten.

The restaurant of the same name is on the top corner.

Then here directly to the parking lot or along the deer park and thread the winding paths through the Landgräflicher Garten at the bottom right.