잘펠트-루돌슈타트‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪20‬개의 천연기념물

These fascinating geological formations, also known as scours, are a special feature of this river. Their formation is due to an erosive process caused by the turbulent flow of the water and the sedimentary material it carries. Irregularities in the riverbed, such as small depressions, bumps, or harder rock inclusions, can cause the water to swirl. These initial eddies create a rotating water movement with increased flow velocity and a grinding effect directly on the riverbed.

This is the former Lehesten roofing slate opencast mine. Its dimensions alone are impressive; along with the nearby Oertelsbruch, it was one of the largest slate quarries on the continent (approximately 800 m long, 300 m wide, and up to 80 m deep). Source: Wikipedia

The tower is located on the Wetzstein hill. A circular hiking trail to Staatsbruch Lehesten also runs here.

A beautiful region 🤩 If you like, you can also take a detour to the Alvater Tower.

The tower on the Wetzstein was built as a memorial against the expulsion of people and as a place of remembrance of a lost homeland. After the expulsion of the Germans from Czechoslovakia in 1945/46, local friends founded the Altvaterturmverein Langgöns in 1976. In 1999, the association rebuilt the Altvaterturm, which collapsed on May 2, 1959 and was not rebuilt, on the Wetzstein in a true-to-original manner.

In the "Land of Blue Gold," as the slate is called here because of its distinctive color, the tradition of Thuringian-Franconian slate mining can still be experienced today. This extraordinary industrial complex, located at what was once one of Europe's largest open-cast slate mines, provides a hands-on experience of the history and processing of slate. The entire Staatsbruch Slate Park area is a nature reserve. 170 Red List species have now been confirmed to have settled in this partially inaccessible area.

The hiking trail is very adventurous, if you dare to do it please be careful. There are a lot of trees on the route. You have to crawl over or under the trees. It is not suitable for everyone. This section should actually be closed for safety reasons.

Impressive rock formations. Challenging hiking trail over and under tree trunks. Great rest area with benches and fire pit and shelter with stamping station.