Felsenmeer

In the forest surrounding the sea of rocks are other boulders that the elements have weathered into shapes that have given them names like Riessensessel (Giant Chair) or Krokodilfelsen (Crocodile Rock).  But it is not just the elements that have left the rocks in strange forms. The Romans discovered the Felsenmeer and used it as a quarry in the fourth century. Their masons worked the stones, sawing and chipping away at the granite to use it for building material.

What remains of their work has been given fanciful names, such as Altarstein (Altar Stone), Pyramide, or Riesensäule (Giant Column). The latter is the most interesting of the bunch, a 31-foot long column, 4 feet in diameter and weighing 27½ tons. At one time it probably stood upright, but it was knocked down some time between 1630 and 1645. Probably because, as records show, in 1613 the chaplain of Reichenbach complained that the spring festivals at the Riesensäule were getting out of hand. They evidently kept getting out of hand until the column was finally knocked down.

Trails lead around and through the Felsenmeer, but the most fun is climbing over the rocks. This is best done in dry weather, as the rocks are slippery when wet. Parents clamber across the boulders while their kids scamper like mountain goats across their face.
From Stars & Stripes Aug 29, 2002

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