The 13 Most Amazing Peaks around Nohfelden

It is a memorial to an unpunished murder that occurred deep in the forest around 285 years ago. A large wooden cross stands on the base of the so-called Tirolerstein, located in the heart of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park and directly on the border between the Birkenfeld and Trier-Saarburg districts. A seating area in front of it invites you to take a break in the greenery. Since the former chapel in the nearby Neuhütten district of Muhl was converted into the National Park Church a few years ago, and since then, star hikes have been held there, the Tirolerstein has also been a place where believers occasionally hold services.

A Tyrolean trader was murdered here ages ago and the cross is a reminder of this.

A memorial to a murdered Tyrolean trader.

The Dollberg is 695 m above sea level. NN is the highest mountain in Saarland and belongs to one of the prominent mountain ranges in the high forest. These stretch as ridges running from southwest to northeast from the Saar to the Rhine. The ridges consist of quartzite, which in turn has its origin in sandstone. This was finally transformed into quartzite by pressure and high temperatures during the folding of the mountains in the Devonian. Due to its hardness, it is comparatively weather-resistant. As the surrounding, softer rock was eroded, the quartzite deposits were preserved as ridges. A beautiful hiking destination and, as the highest "mountain" in Saarland, of course also a highlight here in the region. https://www.naturpark.org/natur-und-kultur/natur/geologie/geopunkte-devon-permokarbon-nonnweiler-und-zuesch/dollberg

Traveling to all 16 peaks in the federal states, it is very interesting to see how differently the states deal with their highest peaks. Perhaps the term "natural" fits quite well here

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐫 From a geological point of view, the »Steinernes Meer« is a heap of scree made from weathered material from the Weiselberg. From a geological point of view, this sea of rocks at the foot of the mountain is a work of the Ice Age. The last ice age only ended around 10,000 years ago. Magma rising underground got stuck under the earth's surface and solidified into mostly pentagonal column formations, quite typical of slowly cooling basalt rock. Over the course of millions of years, the surrounding softer sedimentary rock was removed by erosion. In geology, the very hard rock, which shines deep black when cut and is reminiscent of a starry sky with its bright feldspar particles, has been given the name »Weiselbergite«. The frost change climate during this geological epoch caused extreme weathering and erosion processes that were able to separate the blocks and columns weighing several tons from the rock structure. Not least because of the extreme daily temperature fluctuations, the steep southern slope of the Weiselberg with the typical vertical basalt columns offered the best conditions for the formation of the Felsenmeer. The boulders collected on the mountainside and have since been exposed to weathering. Covered with mosses, the »Steinernes Meer« repeatedly gave rise to eerie legends: Whether wild cyclopes played with it or the remains of an enchanted castle are left to the imagination of the observer. The Romans were already digging for agates on the surface of the Weiselberg. From the 15th century, when only little was to be found above ground and a veritable agate boom began, the agate seekers went deep. Some tunnels buried today bear witness to this. After the war there were concrete considerations to dismantle the Weiselberg as a quarry. This was prevented by the designation as a nature reserve in October 1950. In earlier times, the minerals of this region such as agate, chalcedony, jasper and petrified wood were processed in the gemstone metropolis of Idar-Oberstein. 3000 of these precious stones can be viewed in the Mineralogical Museum in the old school in Oberkirchen (0 68 55/332) and in the Mineral Museum (2000 exhibits) in Freisen (0 68 55/13 25). In the Gemstone Dorado in Freisen, treasure hunters can search for gemstones themselves. (0 68 55/1849 31) Source: Text information board

𝑮𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒕𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒎 𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎 𝑲𝒓𝒆𝒖𝒛 𝒃𝒆𝒊 𝑺𝒐𝒕𝒛𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 In 1914 a tower in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II was to be built on the mountain plateau. However, the execution of this plan was interrupted by the First World War. Only a 5 m high ruin remained, on which a tower with an integrated war memorial chapel was built from 1927. The larger-than-life crucifix set in the central arch of the tower was striking. This tower had to be demolished in 1972 because it was in disrepair. The undamaged crucifix should be blown up. The construction workers, all from the Catholic villages in the vicinity or of Italian origin, refused to blow up the symbol of faith. The crucifix was removed undamaged, kept for a short time in a shed on the edge of the mountain plateau and later set up not far from the motorway junction near Sotzweiler. Source: Text Wikipedia

𝑹ö𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝑯ö𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒈 The extensive excavations that were carried out during the redesign of the Schaumberg plateau showed for the first time that the area was already being used intensively in Roman times. An extensive building with mighty walls in particular deserves attention. It proves that the square was already built on in the 3rd century AD. The foundation stone of the building took place in the 1st / 2nd Century AD. The oldest part is a wall at least 19m long and 1.1m thick made of hand blocks, which belonged to a 12m wide building, against which several vaulted cellars were placed shortly afterwards. A coin find shows that these cellars were demolished towards the end of the 3rd century AD and the building was reinforced by a row of arched walls. Very unusual and almost unknown from archaeological excavations, these arches do not open inwards but outwards. The building is interpreted as a high altitude sanctuary, which later became a fortification structure. Source: Text information board