List of geotopes in the Main-Spessart district

This list contains the geotopes of the Lower Franconian district of Main-Spessart in Bavaria . The list contains the official names and numbers of the Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU) as well as their geographical location. This list may not be complete. Around 3,400 geotopes (as of March 2020) are recorded in the Bavarian geotope register. The LfU does not consider some geotopes suitable for publication on the Internet. For example, some objects are not safely accessible or may only be entered to a limited extent for other reasons.

Surname	image	Geotope ID	Municipality / location	Geological unit of space	description	Area m² / extension m	geology	Digestion type	value	Protection status	comment
Former Ansbach NNE quarry		677A001	Clearing position	Spessart	The former quarrying in the corrugated limestone was temporarily used as a storage area. On the exposed layer surface of the Oolith Bank Alpha, a loose fossil patch with various peculiarities appears.	3200 80 × 40	Type: Animal Fossils, Rock Type: Limestone	Quarry	precious	no protected area
Red sandstone profile WSW from Gambach	more pictures	677A004	Karlstadt position	Rhön	The outcrop is part of the profile on the Gambacher Steige. The sequence of layers from rock sandstone to Thuringian chirotheria sandstone is documented on the outcrop that is crossed by a footpath. Particularly noteworthy are the carnelian-dolomite layers in a special preservation with a fossil soil horizon and root tubes. The Solling sandstone shows a typical formation with fluvial sedimentary structures.	40 20 × 2	Type: type locality, layer sequence, sedimentary structures, animal fossils, fossil soil Type: sandstone	Quarry	especially valuable	Nature reserve, FFH area
Former Muschelkalkbruch on Geiersberg NW of Birkenfeld		677A005	Birkenfeld position	Western Franconian Plates	In the abandoned quarry, the upper part of the Lower Muschelkalk is exposed. The developed sequence of layers begins in the horizontal level of the spiriferina bench and ends at the level of the 1st foam lime bench. This 1st foam lime bench shows a diagenetic lower bench with shrinkage cracks and drill marks. The corrugated limestone sequences contain landslide structures that can develop up to the complete dissolution of the stratification and into a conglomerate habitus.	800 40 × 20	Type: Rock type, Layer sequence, Animal fossils Type: Limestone	Quarry	significant	no protected area
Former Gypsum break N from Stetten		677A006	Karlstadt position	Western Franconian Plates	The former gypsum mine shows the sequence of layers from the orbicularis layers of the lower shell limestone to the residual clays and marls of the middle shell limestone. Dolomitic marl limestone and leached cell dolomites of the basal layers of the Middle Muschelkalk dominate. The Stetten conglomerate was identified at the base of the Middle Muschelkalk, an intraclast-rich limestone with numerous vertebrate remains, the type of which is the outcrop.	7500 150 × 50	Type: Layer sequence, Rock type, Animal fossils Type: Limestone	Quarry	precious	FFH area
Former Quarry on Grainberg S of Gambach	more pictures	677A007	Karlstadt position	Rhön	In the abandoned quarry, the lowest layers of the Lower Muschelkalk are exposed, from the border yellow limestone to the wave limestone sequence 1. Above the border yellow limestone, several solid and hard grounds have been developed, some of which are fossilized (drillworm bank).	100 20 × 5	Type: Layer sequence, Rock type, Animal fossils Type: Limestone	Quarry	especially valuable	Nature reserve, FFH area
Shell limestone profile Kalbenstein SE from Gambach	more pictures	677A009	Karlstadt position	Western Franconian Plates	Almost all of the Lower Muschelkalk is developed on the former impact slope of the Main in typical formation with a detailed sequence of layers. This can be seen from the hiking trail. A via ferrata leads through the wall. Faults are responsible for frequent rockfalls that created a specific morphological situation in front of the wall. The slopes of the Kalbenstein and the Grainberg bear dry limestone lawns and dry forest vegetation.	220000 2000 × 110	Type: sequence of layers, rock wall / slope, rock fall, karst horizontal cave , impact slope Type: limestone	Impact slope / river bed / stream profile	precious	Nature reserve, FFH area	Bavaria's most beautiful geotopes No. 35
Former Quarry NE of Himmelstadt		677A010	Karlstadt position	Western Franconian Plates	In the former quarry, the sequence of layers from wave limestone series 3 to wave limestone series 4 is exposed. Several horizons show landslide phenomena including sigmoid fractures. A complex fault running parallel to the Main is a dislocation with a Y-shaped clod as a result of multi-phase loading.	3600 120 × 30	Type: fault, rock type, layer sequence, sediment structures Type: limestone	Quarry	significant	FFH area
Former Clay pit NE of Wiesenfeld		677A012	Karlstadt position	Spessart	The former clay pit of the Wiesenfeld brickworks is a westward-facing outcrop in the Upper Röttonstones, with the lower half of the outcrop wall largely collapsed. Within the dominant sequence of violet-red marly clay and silt stones, whitish dolomite and fine sand layers as well as greenish reduction horizons can be seen. Sedimentation cycles in the Playa deposits can also be determined fine stratigraphically.	4800 160 × 30	Type: Rock type: Mudstone, siltstone	Quarry	precious	no protected area
Road outcrop and quarry SW of Marktheidenfeld		677A013	Marktheidenfeld position	Spessart	Along the road at the southern end of Marktheidenfeld on the right-hand Main Prallhang, the sequence of layers of the Hardegsen alternation and the hanging rock sandstone are exposed. At street level, several rock cellars have been driven into the sandstones. The Höphere part of the Hardegson alternation is developed in a former quarry area in which strata areas are partially littered with trace fossils.	9000 300 × 30	Type: Layer sequence, rock type, animal fossils Type: sandstone, siltstone	Quarry	precious	Landscape protection area, nature park
Street outcrop S of Tiefenthal		677A014	Erlenbach near Marktheidenfeld position	Western Franconian Plates	The road profile reveals the sequence of layers of the Lower Muschelkalk from the level of the Spiriferinabank to the foam limestone banks. In some of the corrugated limestone packages, clear sliding phenomena can be seen, which document interesting sedimentological aspects.	1000 100 × 10	Type: Layer sequence, type of rock : Limestone	embankment	significant	no protected area
Stelzenbachschlucht S from Rothenfels Castle		677A015	Rothenfels position	Spessart	The largely natural slope profile below Rothenfels Castle opens up the sequence of layers of the Middle Buntsandstein from the level of the Hardegsen alternation to the rock sandstone and laterally to the Solling sandstone. The sequence documents the variability in the lithological formation and the sedimentological inventory of the sandstone packages.	8000 200 × 40	Type: sequence of layers, type of rock type: sandstone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	Natural park
Rocks at the Partenstein train station		677A016	Partenstein position	Spessart	The profile at the Partenstein train station opens up the Dickbank sandstone (formerly Unterer Miltenberger Sandstein, Calvörde formation). The sandstone is fine to medium-grained, clayey-iron, partly weak quartzite bound, pale violet-red, partly flamed white. Typical fluvial sediment structures can be seen in some areas (bank-internal inclined stratification bodies, accumulations of clay galls, grinding marks).	1000 100 × 10	Type: sequence of layers, type of rock type: sandstone	embankment	precious	Natural park
Muschelkalkbruch at the Lange Lage W of Karlburg		677A017	Karlstadt position	Western Franconian Plates	The small, former shell limestone quarry opens up the sequence of layers of the lower shell limestone from wave limestone sequence 7 to the hanging wall of the 2nd foam limestone bank. The historical development of the deposits with clear landslides and injection structures has been preserved in an exemplary manner on the former dismantling walls.	1800 60 × 30	Type: Layer sequence, type of rock : Limestone	Quarry	significant	no protected area
Clay pit NE of Wiesenfeld		677A018	Karlstadt position	Spessart	In the clay pit, red clay stones and myophoric layers of the upper red sandstone were mined. The pit is the most impressive and best preserved outcrop in this layer sequence in Bavaria. The Vulgaris-Costata-Bank is uniquely open-minded here, representing a nationally important time stamp in the Upper Buntsandstein. The mussels Costatoria costata and Myophoria vulgaris occur together in it.	15000 150 × 100	Type: Standard / Reference Profile, Layer Sequence, Animal Fossils Type: Mudstone	Clay pit / clay pit / marl pit	especially valuable	no protected area
Former Sandstone quarry Steinernes Haus W von Lohr		677G001	Rechtenbach position	Spessart	During the former sandstone quarrying, a lot of overburden was stored in the hills around the quarry. Large rock sandstone slabs with clear sloping structures are exposed on the edge of the slope. The loose material was cleared out from under the blocks and a cavity was expanded, in front of which there are remains of a platform or weir. This accommodation is believed to have been used by quarry workers and coal-miners.	8000 200 × 40	Type: Quarry / Pit, Rock Type: Sandstone	Quarry	precious	Landscape protection area, FFH area, bird sanctuary
Former Barite mining W from Rechtenbach		677G002	Forst Lohrerstraße position	Spessart	Only spoil heaps and the collapsed mouth hole can be seen from the former barite mining. Many pieces of barite and accompanying minerals can still be found in the material of the mine dumps. 300 m to the southwest and higher on the slope in the curve of the forest road, there are peculiar barite breccias on the heap of a schurf, which are probably early attempts to cast artificial stone. During the 2nd World War the stone was used for heavy mast foundations. Today radiation protection rooms are built from it.	1400 70 × 20	Type: tunnel, dump type: sandstone	Tunnel / gallery / shaft	significant	Landscape protection area, FFH area, bird sanctuary
Barite pit Erichstollen NE of Partenstein	more pictures	677G003	Partenstein position	Spessart	The plant at the Erichstollen, which has been closed since 1964, documents the remains of the most important heavy spar mining in the Spessart. The small mining museum in the old school building next to the town hall of Partenstein provides more information. The tunnel was excavated from 1919 to 1922 over 520 m from the Marienschacht as a discharge tunnel for the 37-m floor of the productive Erich tunnel, in order to be able to more easily retrieve the heavy spar from the mountain on carts and transport it via the Schnepfenthal. Remnants of mineralization on a NW-SE trending dike can be seen around the tunnel mouth hole. Pieces of barite can still be found in the dump material in the nearby loading bunker.	4500 150 × 30	Type: tunnel, dump, minerals Type: vein mineralization , sandstone	Tunnel / gallery / shaft	precious	Landscape protection area, nature park
Heidenloch NW of Birkenfeld		677H001	Birkenfeld position	Western Franconian Plates	The relatively large karst cave in the corrugated limestone (layers under the 2nd foam limestone bank) allows conclusions to be drawn about the history of the landscape. After about 40 m length, backfilling with cave clay. After a fatal accident, the cave was closed with a grid.	54 30 × 2	Type: Karst Horizontal Cave Type: Limestone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	Natural monument
Schächerloch NE from Bischbrunn		677H002	Esselbach position	Spessart	The Schächerloch is a cleft cave in the Solling sandstone that has been artificially expanded. The entrance to the Felsenmeer area consists of an inconspicuous, rectangular hole that leads into a two-meter-deep shaft, from where the approximately 15-meter-long crevasse cave begins. The cave has been used since the Neolithic and is said to a. served as a refuge for the German Emperor Heinrich IV.	30 15 × 2	Type: Fissured / Tectonic Cave Type: Sandstone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	Natural monument, landscape protection area, nature park
Source pot Kühles Loch W of Münster	more pictures	677Q001	Eußenheim position	Western Franconian Plates	The Kühle Loch is an approx. 25 m long head, fed by several springs in the Lower Muschelkalk, which is one of the most productive in Lower Franconia. The spring funnel is probably about 4 m deep, the water temperature is relatively constant between 8 and 12 ° C throughout the year.	300 25 × 12	Type: Constriction Source Type: Limestone	no information	precious	Natural monument
Tuff rock and tuff cave on Schlossberg Homburg		677R001	Triefenstein position	Spessart	The outcrop on the road shows a profile from the Lower Röttonstones over the red quartzite to the Upper Röttonstones of the Upper Buntsandstein. The Mesozoic layers are covered in the lower area by mighty Holocene calcareous sinter deposits in which plant and animal remains are embedded. The lime-saturated water comes from the castle spring, which rises above the hanging layers of the Lower Muschelkalk.	3200 80 × 40	Type: Sinter formation, Tuff cave, Vegetable fossils, Animal fossils, Layer source Type: Sandstone, Tufa limestone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	Natural monument, nature park
Tufa wall in the Klingelbachgraben W of Lengfurt	more pictures	677R002	Triefenstein position	Spessart	On the edge of the slope to the Main valley lies the deeply incised brook valley, which has gorge-like incisions in the area of the flat sandstone. A chalk tuff wallpaper that extends to the bottom of the valley is formed by the waters of the spring outlets in a red shade and forms a semi-cave. The sequence of shifts is almost completely open. The dense hillside and canyon forest is part of a 170 hectare nature reserve.	6000 150 × 40	Type: Sinter formation, ravine, layer sequence Type: Tufa, sandstone	Impact slope / river bed / stream profile	significant	Natural monument, landscape protection area, FFH area
Doline Soll-See WNW from Johannishof		677R003	Birkenfeld position	Western Franconian Plates	The leaching of gypsum in the Middle Muschelkalk caused the formation of karst hollow forms in the vicinity of the Johannishof. The Soll-See was created by silting up a large sinkhole and today forms a shallow, episodic water-bearing pool, which is surrounded by thick bushes and trees.	1200 40 × 30	Type: sinkhole Type: limestone	no information	significant	no protected area
Rock foundations of Karlburg W von Karlstadt	more pictures	677R004	Karlstadt position	Western Franconian Plates	Below the Karlburg the sequence of layers of the Lower Muschelkalk is exposed. There, the lime banks appear as characteristic cornices. In the lower area of the rock face, the wave limestone sequences document the appearance of landslides in the semi-consolidated sediment.	20000 200 × 100	Type: rock wall / slope, type of rock, sequence of layers, sedimentary structures, type: limestone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	no protected area
Maintalprallhang SE from Karlstadt	more pictures	677R005	Karlstadt position	Western Franconian Plates	Large parts of the main valley slopes between Retzbach and Karlstadt are designed as steep walls. In the upper area, the lime banks are exposed and form eye-catching cornices. Above this, a slope flattening occurs in the area of the orbicularis layers and the less weather-resistant rocks of the Middle Muschelkalk. These areas are used as vineyards. The layers of the upper shell limestone appear above this.	3600 120 × 30	Type: Prallhang Type: Limestone	Impact slope / river bed / stream profile	precious	FFH area
Main impact slope Kallmuth N from Homburg	more pictures	677R006	Triefenstein position	Western Franconian Plates	Above the famous Homburger Kallmuth vineyard, the uppermost layers of red sandstone and the basal layers of shell limestone are exposed. The sequence of layers of the rarely exposed upper myophoric layers of the Röt and the complete sequence in the border yellow limestone is remarkable. The vineyards lie on the red clay stones. This is the only place in Lower Franconia where the Buntsandstein-Muschelkalk border is completely open.	40000 400 × 100	Type: Impact slope, layer sequence Type: Limestone, claystone, marlstone	embankment	especially valuable	Nature reserve, landscape protection area, FFH area
Tretstein Gorge S from Eidenbacherhof	more pictures	677R007	Graefendorf position	Rhön	The Tretstein water crack lies in a gorge-like valley cut north of the Franconian Saale. The stream flowing there exhumed the weather-resistant sandstone banks within the Röt series, so that individual, smaller waterfalls were created. A series of slightly higher cascades emerged at the level of the red quartzite.	12000 300 × 40	Type: Canyon, Waterfall Type: Sandstone	Impact slope / river bed / stream profile	precious	Natural monument, landscape protection area, nature park
Ringelbachschlucht NW of Gössenheim	more pictures	677R008	Gössenheim position	Rhön	The steep, deeply cut water crack forms the drainage channel of the red quartzite area north of the lower Wern. By clearing out the lower red clay stones and flushing under the lower red quartzite bank, red quartzite blocks break off and a block current forms. The blocks show oblique stratification and oscillation ripples.	75000 250 × 300	Type: Block Stream, Canyon Type: Sandstone	Impact slope / river bed / stream profile	precious	Natural monument
Maintalprallhang SE from Retzbach		677R009	Zellingen position	Western Franconian Plates	The upper layers of the wave limestone are exposed to the west of Retzbach. The 1st and 2nd foam lime banks form distinctive cornices that create a natural steep wall. A slope flattening above marks the transition to the orbicularis layers in the hanging wall.	200000 1000 × 200	Type: Impact slope, rock wall / slope Type: Limestone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	FFH area
Romberg SE from Sendelbach		677R010	Lohr am Main position	Spessart	The morphologically conspicuous former Umlaufberg of the Main is largely covered by the oldest Pleistocene to Middle Pleistocene gravel, which can be found in places on easily recognizable river terraces. The mountain is protected as a nature reserve. A 1.4 km long nature trail leads through sandy grasslands and fields.	650000 1000 × 650	Type: Umlauf- / breakthrough mountain Type: Sandstone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	Nature reserve, landscape protection area, FFH area
Flying sands at Saupürzel NE of Karlstadt	more pictures	677R011	Karlstadt position	Western Franconian Plates	At the Saupürzel northeast of Karlstadt, drifting sands are widespread. They belong to the area of the Karlstadt arid areas, which are designated as a nature reserve. The formation of the dunes is illustrated on site by display boards.	260000 650 × 400	Type: Dune field Type: Sand	no information	significant	Nature reserve, FFH area
Umlaufberg Achtelsberg NW from Hafenlohr		677R012	Hafenlohr position	Spessart	The morphologically conspicuous, around 1.5 km long former Umlaufberg of the Main is bordered along its length by young valley sediments of the Hafenlohr Bach and the Lauter Grund and rises approx. 80 m above this floodplain level. At the Achtelsberg the terrace levels at 185 m and 200 m above sea level can be verified, which were created in the Old Pleistocene.	1500000 1500 × 1000	Type: Umlauf- / breakthrough mountain Type: Sandstone	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	Landscape protection area, nature park
Main loop near Urphar		677R013	Kreuzwertheim position	Spessart	At Urphar, an approx. 100 m high impact slope was cut out very impressively through the Main. A 4 km long and at the narrowest point only 450 m wide circulating mountain formed.	2000000 4000 × 500	Type: Prallhang Type: Sandstone, Mudstone	Impact slope / river bed / stream profile	precious	Landscape protection area, FFH area, nature park
Aufgel. Muschelkalk quarry on Frohnberg near Ansbach		677A019	Clearing position	Western Franconian Plates	The abandoned Muschelkalk quarry on the western slope of the Frohnberg near Ansbach opens up Lower Muschelkalk. Despite the beginning of vegetation, Lower Muschelkalk 1 and 2 (wave limestone) and the Beta 2 oolite bank are exposed in numerous places. The latter contains massive amounts of animal fossils (shell remains), while the limestone mainly contains trace fossils (bioturbation).	11000 110 × 100	Type: Layer sequence, sediment structures, animal fossils 4 trace fossils Type: Limestone	Quarry	precious	no protected area
Hölzlesgraben near Fuchsenmühle		677R014	Karbach position	Spessart	The 400 meter long and up to eight meter high brook fissure of the Hölzlesgraben offers outcrops in the slab sandstone in the lower area, directly above the Fuchsenmühle. Oblique stratification can rarely be observed. In the uppermost area, red quartzite is exposed, where a smaller waterfall has formed. The water flow is strongly fluctuating due to the weather. Plant fossils (including the roots of conifers) can be found occasionally. Outcrops exist only in a few places, as the steep valley flanks are heavily rolled and partially overgrown. Outcrops of Solling sandstone and the Lower Röttonsteine described in the literature are hardly available. A noticeable widening of the trench on the north flank (only a little below the middle of the Hölzlesgraben) could be due to mining activity, as the slab sandstone was often used as a building material. A forest path runs almost parallel to the stream, which provides a view of the gorge regardless of the water flow.	4300 430 × 10	Type: ravine, rock type, storage conditions Type: sandstone, quartzite	Slope crack / rock wall	precious	Landscape protection area, nature park