Werksandstein Quarry Höchberg

Many trails

Former factory sand quarry, criss-crossed with beautiful hiking trails, some benches and information boards.

In the long-abandoned quarry, the layers of the Lower Keuper (so-called Lettenkeuper) are exposed with the red and green clays and the underlying sandstone. The walls show a typical inventory of fluvial sedimentation with channel bodies and flood layers. Trace fossils can be seen on the layer surfaces. The mining walls show clear traces of processing. Plant and animal fossils can be found, as well as sedimentary structures of the Lettenkohlenkeuper from the Middle Triassic.Due to its easy workability, the factory sandstone of the Lower Keuper is a sandstone that is particularly suitable for sculptors and for building purposes. Its earliest mention in Main Franconia dates back to 1349. Because of its extensive occurrence in and around the Main Triangle, it was previously extracted in numerous quarries. In the Höchberg quarry, solid sandstone up to six meters thick was mined. Above this, sandy shales with limestone banks (“Albertibank”) are still exposed. Of the approximately 150 known sandstone quarries in Franconia, this is one of the largest and best preserved.The sandstone on the former quarry walls can still be seen from the former mining area. Otherwise, the flora has renatured the demolition edges.