Idstein Hexenturm

This round medieval tower crowns the castle hill of a small Taunus town whose old centre is packed with elaborately carved timber-framed houses. Popularly called the Witches' Tower, it served as a keep and later a prison, and its battlemented top offers views across the tiled rooftops. Below it stands the Killingerhaus, one of Germany's most richly ornamented half-timbered buildings. A distinctive detail is the way the tower's plain stone bulk contrasts with the exuberant carved beams of the houses clustered around its base.