Treetop Tower of Rügen

Located within the Rügen Natural Heritage Center, this treetop view tower, nicknamed the “Eagle’s Nest,” is a stunning structure. A spiraling walkway, surrounded by greenery, slowly winds its way up and around a 100-foot-tall copper beech tree. The only thing more impressive are the incredible views from the top.

The Rügen Natural Heritage Center (Naturerbe Zentrum Rügen) is located on the eastern side of the island of Rügen, Germany’s largest island by area. Famous for its national parks, beech tree forests, and chalk cliffs, it’s a prime destination for nature lovers, trekkers, and people looking to relax at the island’s seaside resorts.

One of the most popular attractions is the spiraling treetop tower. The summit of the 131-foot-tall nest rises up above the surrounding woodlands to a total height of 270 feet above sea level. From the top of the wood and steel structure, visitors have a stunning view of the landscape. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the church steeples of Stralsund on the mainland, and the pylons of Rügen Bridge.

Access to the tower is via a 1,367-yard-long treetop walkway (Baumwipfelpfad), which threads through the beeches until it reaches the tower. From here, visitors begin the slowly spiraling ascent around the central beech tree, which is more than 70 years old. Along the way, you can see the many insects, small animals and birds that live in this treetop environment. If you’re lucky, you might even see an eagle as it searches for prey in the forest.