The Fernsehturm stands on a wooded hill in Degerloch, on the southern side of the city. When it opened in 1956 it was the first television tower in the world built of reinforced concrete — a design copied more or less everywhere afterwards. In 2026 it turns seventy.
The view
The tower is about 217 metres tall; the observation deck sits a little above 150 metres, with an open platform and a café. On a clear day the view runs across the whole city basin to the long ridge of the Swabian Jura; at dusk the Kessel lights up beneath you.
Getting there
A simple trip on the U-Bahn to Degerloch and a short walk through the trees, or about ten minutes by car. The surrounding woods have easy paths if you want to make a longer outing of it.
Good to know
- Open daily; check the current hours before you go, as they shift with the season
- There is a lift; the ride up takes about half a minute
- The view is best on a clear, dry day — summer haze can flatten it
- Café and a small exhibition on the tower’s history at the top