Wayside Cross with Bench in Naturpark Altmühltal

On the way from the pilgrimage basilica towards Platte, a good place to stop if you have hiked from further afield.

“Each of these crosses can tell its own story and what prompted people to erect “their” cross at this point. (...) These wayside crosses were erected as visible signs and attract the attention of many people. The cross is a symbol of life. It stands as a sign of our Christian hope and wants to direct our gaze to Jesus Christ, who has overcome death (...). The cross is part of our life as it was in the life of Jesus.
So I wish that many people … visit the crosses, whether as places of stillness and breathing space before God, whether as places for community gatherings, prayer and praise to God.”
(Text source: Dean Rainald M. Ollig
in: "Crossroads... small sacred monuments as a sign of popular piety")

Bench with shadow