If you haven’t visited Felsenmeer, the Sea of Stones, at the Felsberg in Lautertal, you should definitely put it on your To-Do list. Felsenmeer is one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the Odenwald, and makes a great day out for the whole family, dogs included.
The Sea of Stones was created by dramatic geological processes that have occurred over hundreds of millions of years, though if you have a fanciful imagination, you may prefer to discount the scientific explanation and go with the other story of Felsenmeer’s creation, a tale of two warring giants.
The legend of Felsenmeer tells of two giants, one who lived on the Felsberg and the other who lived on the Höhenstein. One day the giants had an argument and began to throw stones at one another. Being giants these were, of course, very big stones, boulders in fact. The giant of Höhenstein had more stones than the one at Felsberg, so he won the fight, and the poor Felsenberg giant was buried under all the boulders thrown by his rival. The result is a "sea of stones" that appear to have tumbled down the Felsberg.
Of course, if you don’t believe in stone-throwing giants, you can look towards a more rational explanation. The Odenwald lies at the point of where the continental plates, Eur-america and Gondwana, collided over 300 million years ago to form the super-continent of Pangaea. The resulting pressure caused rocks to melt and then rise to the surface as magma. When the magma cooled, granite-like, igneous rock called quartz mela-diorit was created in the mountains. 100 million years later, in the Triassic period, the land sank, forming the Germanic Basin, which caused the buildup of thick layers of red sandstone. The sandstone was, in turn, covered by layers of shell-bearing limestone and sediment. When later geologic processes (180 million years ago) caused the land in the Odenwald to rise up once again, more than 100 meters of the sedimentary layers were worn down to the bedrock, leaving these large boulders exposed. Over time, erosion further exposed the stones and the movements of water, ice and soil left the stones in the positions you see today.
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| The Roman Column |
With such a resource readily available, rock quarrying has been an important industry in Lautertal’s past, at least as far back as Roman times. The Romans quarried stones from this area for more than two hundred years. Over 300 processed stone blocks from the Roman era, such as the giant column and the pyramid, have been found, pieces that for one reason or another did not meet Roman standards of quality and were abandoned.
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| The Roman-Era Alter Stone |
After a considerable lull in the industry, in 1879, five Bohemian stone masons passing through Lautertal discovered the “blue stones” and revived the stone industry in the area. More stone masons from Italy and other parts of Germany arrived, and soon a thriving industry had sprung up. At its height as many as 14 quarries were in operation with 70% of the male population in the area employed in the craft. Foreign competition, altered demand and changes in funerary trends have largely done away with stone work in Lautertal and no large companies are involved in stone work in the area today.
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| Inside the Information Centre |
A visit to Felsenmeer is best accompanied by a stop at the Felsenmeer Information Centre. At the centre, you can find out information, not only regarding Felsenmeer, but also about the Bergstrasse-Odenwald Geopark and the Felsberg. The staff can provide information about the history of the Romans in the area and the later stone industry. You can also purchase hiking maps, brochures and souvenirs in the shop. Be sure to ask about upcoming events at Felsenmeer and their guided tours, which are offered in English. There is also a playground and picnic tables at the bottom of the mountain behind the information centre.
For refreshments, pack a picnic for your day out or enjoy what’s on offer at the Kobaldklause beer garden/bistro located beside the information centre or the Ada’s Buka African restaurant at the top of the mountain. There is also a kiosk about 1/3 of the way down Felsberg. It sells drinks and snacks and is open on the weekends and during the week when the weather is nice.
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Playground located behind the
Information Centre |
Parking is available at either the top or bottom of Felsberg. Parking at the top is free, but more limited. Use the address: Felsenmeer 3, 64686, Lautertal.
Parking at the information centre at the bottom of the mountain is available for 3 euros per car. The address is Seifenwiesenweg 59, Lautertal (Odenwald),
Dogs on a lead are welcome. Pushchairs and mobility aids can possibly be used on the trails but with difficulty.
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