Graue Lei Quartz Rock Formation

The quartz rock "Graue Lei" between Heinzerath and Gonzerath is one of the most imposing natural monuments in the region and forms part of a large quartz corridor that begins north of Saarburg and ends at the Gray Lei. It thus runs parallel to the ridges of the Idar and Haardt forests with an uneven thickness that reaches up to 30 m in the Dhrontal and even 100 m on the Grauer Lei. The structure of this rock made of pure silica (SiO2) means that it is relatively hard, which makes it resistant to weathering. For this reason, the surrounding slate layers were removed more quickly and the quartz rocks modeled into the landscape in their current form. The history of origin goes back over 300 million years (carbon).

The quartz rocks to the "gray lei"
Largest monolith in the Rhenish Oberland. The rocks at Rapperath, Hunolstein and on the Dörrwiese are among the most impressive natural monuments and form a section of a large quartz corridor that begins north of Saarburg and ends at the Gray Lei. It thus runs parallel to the ridges of the Idar and Haardt forest with a changeable thickness, which in the Dhrontal on the Dörrwiese reaches up to 30 meters and on the Grauen Lei even 100 meters.