in the hotz mountains in 1904 its collegiate church castle hill and old town were named world heritage sites. the hill offers a panoramic view of lindbergh's a sea of red houses. it was hardly short of a miracle but the city came through every war almost undamaged. over $1300.00 of its original half timbered houses are still standing. this is the place to see what a wide variety of half timbering has been created. from small and plain to rich ornate and colorful. unesco has not excluded modern industrial sites. the focusing in iron works in solomon for example was declared a world heritage site in 1904 as an outstanding monument to the industrial revolution. at one time it was germany's largest iron works it was closed down in 1906 and converted to serve as a venue for events large and small. today exit patients concerts and parties are held here the path leads visitors through the complex already partly reclaimed by nature. in 1996 the messel pit fossil site was added to the list. a 1st glance reveals nothing spectacular. but this former open pit oil shale mine holds a buried treasure