Stone forest
| Stone forest | |
|---|---|
 The stone forest south of the Fichtelgebirge |
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 View from the Kosseine to the southeast to the stone forest |
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| Highest peak | Platte ( 946 m above sea level ) |
| location | Bavaria |
| Coordinates | 49 ° 55 ' N , 12 ° 3' E |
| Type | Low mountain range |
| rock | Granite , basalt , serpentinite , phyllite |
The stone forest is up to 946 m above sea level. NHN high low mountain range in the administrative region of Upper Palatinate , in the northeast of Bavaria ( Germany ). In terms of nature , it belongs to the main unit of the Hohes Fichtelgebirge (394). According to a further subdivision by the Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU), it forms the core area of the Steinwald unit (394-C) , which also includes the Reichsforst in the northeast and, to the right of the Fichtelnaab , the Armesberg and its southeastern neighboring elevations in the southwest.
In 1970 the Steinwald Nature Park , which is now 246 km², was founded.
geography
location
The stone forest is located south of the Upper Franconian district town of Marktredwitz and north of Erbendorf in the Tirschenreuth district . The Steinwald is separated from the Fichtelgebirge in the northwest by the Waldershofer Senke and from the Oberpfälzer Wald to the southeast by the Naab-Wondreb-Senke . The Steinwald is the southern mountain range of the horseshoe-shaped Fichtelgebirge.
mountains
The mountains and elevations of the low mountain range and the Steinwald Nature Park include - sorted by height in meters (m) above sea level (NN):
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geology
Like the Fichtelgebirge , the Steinwald consists essentially of granite . In the south and east it is surrounded by a basalt hilltop landscape ( Kemnather Land , Nördlicher Steinwald and Reichsforst ), the most striking elevations of which are the Parkstein near Weiden , the Rauhe Kulm near Kemnath , the Schlossberg near Waldeck, the Armesberg , the Teichelberg and the Ruheberg . In the stone forest you can find numerous granite blocks and rock bastions, which often have fantastic shapes. They have such strange names as Katzentrögel, pointed fir rocks or Saubadfelsen. The stone forest is still rich in precious stones , including agate and jasper , ores ( spar , brown and red iron ) and rocks. In the past, especially in the Middle Ages , these ores were mined; today the remaining deposits are too small and too scattered to make mining profitable.
The stone forest is often viewed as an extension of the Fichtelgebirge . A geological study refuted this, however; the granite in the Steinwald is much softer than the Fichtelgebirge granite and does not contain lithium like this one. In addition, it is younger than the Fichtel Mountains, which is proven by numerous basalt and limestone deposits. The stone forest is also rich in springs . The water often gushes out of crevices and is of good quality. One of the most iron-rich springs in Europe can be found here , the König-Otto-Quelle in König-Otto-Bad near Wiesau , which is named after the brother of Prince Regent Luitpold , Otto I of Greece . The water is processed into beverages by the König-Otto-Sprudel company.
The soil quality in the stone forest depends on the respective dominant rock. The extremely diverse soils can be divided into four types:
- From the rocks of the stone forest edge ( phyllite , quartzite , sands and kaolin clays ) predominantly nutrient-poor and acidic soils emerged.
- The granites in the stone forest mostly left deeply weathered soils with a medium nutrient supply.
- The basalt weathering resulted in narrow soils with a good supply of nutrients.
- Other good soils are soils influenced by groundwater and backwater, often with bog formation.
climate
The climate in the Steinwald is comparable to the climate in the Upper Palatinate Forest . Winter and spring are significantly colder in the stone forest than in the neighboring hill country. In winter, weeks of permafrost with snowstorms and hoar frost are followed by short periods of thaw, which contribute to the impassability of the terrain. Spring comes with a delay of about 2 weeks and can be interrupted by cold snaps until May. In summer and autumn, the temperature differences to the surrounding area are less pronounced; the ridge is often the weather divide between the sunny south-west and the foggy north-east or vice versa. The number of summer days (over 25 ° C) is around 25 days. The mean annual temperature is 4 to 6.5 ° C, the amount of precipitation a year is about 110 cm (plate). However, the last few summers have been unusually dry.
nature
The forest in the Steinwald consists largely of conifers , with the spruce predominating. There are also larger stocks of European beech , silver fir , Scots pine , larch and Douglas fir , and occasionally also sycamore maple and English oak . Rowan berries are quite common in the highest areas . The proportion of deciduous trees was increased from 25.1 in 1987 to 30.4 percent in 2002 . Berry bushes predominate on the ground, especially blueberries and lingonberries . The widespread use of cryptogams is striking . The seven star , which is also the landmark of the Fichtelgebirgsverein , should not go unmentioned here. Many ferns mark the forests.
Wild animals ( red deer , wild boar , foxes , martens , polecats , weasels and, more recently, lynxes again ) can be found almost only in the remote parts of the forest. Woodpeckers , hawks , eagle owls and tawny owls live in the high treetops, including the pygmy owl and the rough-owl . The black storks and the capercaillie , which have otherwise become rare, and which still exist in small numbers in the stone forest, enjoy special protection .
Since 2015, the Association for Landscape Management & Species Protection in Bavaria eV has been involved in the resettlement of the Ural owl in the stone forest.
Forest damage
The forest is exposed to many dangers. Forest owners and foresters are particularly concerned about the almost annual weather damage:
- Wind and storm throws in the eastern stone forest
- Scent (hoar frost) - and ice breaks in the high altitudes
- Snow break in the entire nature park
- Drought damage in the record summers of 2003, 2015, 2018, 2019
The processing of these damaged areas ties up so much manpower and resources that sometimes the long-term planned silviculture suffers. On the other hand, the heavily thinned stands force the forest to be rebuilt quickly in order to put a stop to the book printer and the engraver , whose host trees are primarily the spruce and pines.
Since the 1980s, there has been increased forest damage in the high areas of the stone forest, which has come to be known as forest dieback . The stone forest in northeast Bavaria was one of the main areas of damage. This was due to the high sulfur dioxide emissions from the nearby Eger Basin and its lignite combustion , the acid rain and the many days of fog. The clearly visible forest damage has remained at roughly the same level of 32% since 1986. Previous studies have shown that this was a complex of causes consisting of biotic and abiotic factors, in which environmental pollution played a significant role. As a forestry measure, fertilization came into consideration to counteract the magnesium deficiency (needle yellowing). The damaged high-altitude stands were underplanted so that no treeless steppes emerged as in the heights of the Ore Mountains . The Kemnath Forestry Office carried out these measures on an area of around 200 hectares. The climate change that has been clearly noticeable since 2000 , on the other hand, requires other measures, in particular sustainable forest conversion into a diversified mixed forest with a significant reduction in the proportion of spruce and the planting of heat-tolerant tree species such as chestnut , black pine or sessile oak .
Forest functions
The stone forest has to fulfill national cultural, economic, social and health tasks.
In order to preserve or restore the condition of the forest as appropriate to the location, it is first necessary to ensure protection. This is specified in the forest function plan:
- On the hilltops, slopes and steep slopes, i.e. in areas at risk of erosion, forests have tasks of soil protection. Above all, the rocky areas of the stone forest should be mentioned here.
- Around 30 water protection areas are designated in the nature park and almost all of them get their water from the forest. The forests in these water catchment areas are therefore given special care due to strict requirements and restrictions in use.
- In the stone forest there are also many areas, e.g. B. the forest moors, an important meaning for the biotope protection, the landscape and nature conservation. A very impressive natural forest on the Teichelberg was exempted from any use as a natural forest reserve in order to be able to research its undisturbed development in more detail.
The main goal in the stone forest, however, is the sustainable management of the forest. Every year around 50,000 cubic meters of wood are felled in the stone forest. This is also important to prevent overpopulation of the forest and to maintain the typical appearance of the stone forest.
natural reserve
Nature reserve
The Föhrenbühl near Grötschenreuth is a nature reserve with a size of 33.79 hectares. It serves to protect rare plants on serpentine rock with nine species of fern, including rare striped ferns . In addition to juniper there thrive dwarf book , Black Nascent cytisus and mountain johanniskraut .
- Great Teichelberg (NSG-00507.01)
Natural monuments
- To the west of Fuchsmühl , in the Augsburg forest property, is the 723 meter high Hackelstein. The protected natural monument has a climbing facility. Climbing is also allowed on the Hackelstein. There is an underground shelter nearby. On 25 December every year there will be a celebration of Waldweihnacht.
- Franzosenfelsen near Riglasreuth , a quartz - slate group directly on the road to Kulmain
- Kühstein, a hilltop near Erbendorf on the left bank of the Fichtelnaab with three syenite columns
- Steinhübel, a basalt cone near Pechbrunn
- Teufelsstein, a granite rock near Napfberg, north of Pfaben .
- Wappenstein with the Hohenzollern coat of arms near Groschlattengrün (Pechbrunn municipality) on a small basalt cone
Protected landscape components
- The Fuchsmühl Castle Park is protected because of its old trees.
- Quarry near Röthenbach, northeast of Reuth
- The Schrammwiesen at the Plattenmühle in the north of Fuchsmühl are protected as wet meadows.
- Trees at the Lady Chapel in Trevesenhammer
Protected groups of trees and individual trees
- The 1,820 -scale lime avenue of Reuth by Premenreuth with about one kilometer is under protection.
- The group of linden trees near Poppenreuth , consisting of four trees, is around 220 years old. The total crown width is 30 meters, the height 31 meters. The trunk is about 1.75 meters thick.
- The two linden trees at the Antonius Chapel in Hohenhard, a district of Waldershof , are around 300 years old, the trunk diameter is 1.80 meters and the height 31 meters.
- The linden tree at the inn in Schafbruck, also part of Waldershof, is also protected . The tree is also known as the Fleischgirgl linden . Its trunk measures 1.60 meters, the linden tree is 32 meters high and the crown width is 21 meters.
- The linden tree on the road to Walbenreuth is 22 meters high and has a crown width of 17 meters. It is located about 1.5 kilometers south of Waldershof .
- The linden tree by the Windisch Chapel in Erbendorf is also 400 years old. The crown is around 15 meters wide, the tree is around 30 meters high and has a trunk diameter of seven meters.
- The 28 meter high, protected group of trees in Walbenreuth, consisting of two maple trees, has a closed crown.
- The treetop of the sycamore maple near Poppenreuth consists of three individual trunks that have been planted in the shape of a triangle at a distance of one meter.
- The hat spruce near Arnoldsreuth, municipality Pullenreuth and the Bildföhre near Plärn, city Erbendorf are also protected .
Striking rocks
In addition to the rocks mentioned above under natural monuments, there are numerous other striking rock areas in the Steinwald:
- Before the construction of the Upper Palatinate Tower, the climbable Katzentrögelfelsen at 941 meters was the most popular vantage point in the stone forest. The ascent to the Katzentrögelfelsen was closed in 2007 for nature conservation reasons. The trail there was marked and the stairs removed.
- The Saubadfelsen, not far from the Waldhaus, is an approximately 20 meter high granite block with a climbing facility in the western stone forest. There is a dump at the foot of the rock. The Saubadfelsen itself is approx. 200 meters long and 60 meters wide. He shows wool sack weathering .
- The Räuberfelsen is a large granite block that is especially popular with climbers. The robber rock supposedly got its name from robbers who used to hang around there - at least that's what a legend claims.
- The Zipfeltannenfelsen is a rock group in the southwestern Steinwald. Because of its similarity to the Sphinx of Giza , it is often jokingly called the Stone Forest Sphinx .
- Palmlohe rocks
- Badger rock
- Bird rocks, a climbing rock
- The Reiseneggerfelsen, named after a forester named Reisenegger, formerly also known as Steinschlatter, is a rock with a climbing facility that lies on the path from the Waldhaus to the Neuköslarn hiking car park.
- Ladder rock, a granite rock formation at an altitude of 740 meters in the southern stone forest
- Huberfelsen
Cultural
Costumes
Johann Baptist Lehner describes in his writing, which is kept in the Bishop's Central Archives Regensburg , the traditional costume in the Steinwald as follows:
“The man wore leather pants , the“ grape skirt ”, with wrinkled tails, a silk gilet with decorative buttons (no coin buttons), calf boots and a shaggy hat; in addition, in winter, a blue cloth coat, which supposedly required 9 yards of cloth. The collar of the cloak was more than a hand's breadth, closable at the front with a brass lion head chain. It was later replaced by the " Beanus " made of blue cloth as an overgarment, and finally the "winter skirt" (overcoat). "
“The woman wore a wrinkled, heavy linen skirt ruffled at the hips, an embroidered bodice with thickly padded, flared sleeves, and the wide, silk apron. As headgear, the older women wore a "Maschnhaube", a fist-sized, pointed bonnet with a black embroidered gold brocade base and a long, hand-wide, heavy silk moiré ribbons that were tied on the bonnet to form a large bow ( Maschn ). On festive days, the wealthy peasant women usually wore a heavy brocade bolt cap , around their necks a silver chain with many (up to 15) strands, which - increasing from a simple neck size to a cubit length - lay in wide rings around the neck and shoulders and on the neck in a mighty one stone-adorned clasp. "
“The girls adorned a“ school cap ”, a circular hat with a gold brocade base, which also had wide, but colored ribbon decorations - without stitches. A silk, flowered scarf wrapped in a triangle was placed around the neck and shoulders, which later turned into a small "torso scarf"; its ends stood about a hand's breadth from the knot that was tied at the front of the neck. The girls wore skirts made of bright red linen "Gstreift" or "Geigl". "
kitchen
Typical dishes of the region are nutritious and often contain potatoes, such as the Dotsch, a kind of potato pancake. Another dish is, for example, the so-called Schwammerbräih (mushroom broth made from forest mushrooms, with potatoes or mashed potatoes). On Sundays and public holidays, Spoutzn (meaning potato and / or bread dumplings) is consumed with a roast, very often roast pork with a crust, called pork nes . Are popular also be coated apple strudel , Semolina dumpling soup, boiled meat (beef) with horseradish ( horseradish ), butter cream cake, Käichla and fried carp. When it comes to drinks, beers such as Zoigl or Weizenbier dominate , and a local specialty is Hullerwasser , an elderberry lemonade made from pickled elderflower .
religion
The population in the Steinwald is predominantly Roman Catholic . The influence of the Waldsassen monastery , whose property extended over Pullenreuth, Waldershof, Pechbrunn, Mitterteich and Wiesau, may well have played a not insignificant role here. In addition, all residents in the area of the former Kuramt Waldeck had to be Catholic - this has largely been preserved to this day. However, this has not always been the case. Before the Thirty Years War, Calvinism ruled the Steinwald. This is evidenced by the place Haselbrunn , which in the past was often referred to as "the place where the Calvinist church stands". There are supposed to be remains of this church, but no traces have been found to this day. In addition, research showed that there were Calvinist provisional services in Pullenreuth from 1616 to 1686 . Traditionally there are also Protestant communities in Erbendorf, Krummennaab, Thumsenreuth and Groschlattengrün , as well as in Waldershof due to the influx of refugees since 1945.
beekeeping
Many traditions of the population are or were previously associated with beekeeping. This is also reflected in the surname Zeitler , which is very common in the Steinwald region. It is derived from the Slavic word for bee, vcela . Beekeeping has been one of the most important industries since the colonization of the stone forest. Especially in the Middle Ages, beekeeping flourished in the stone forest because of the high demand for wax in churches and monasteries. A special tradition was the newspaper , a festival day on which the honey was "harvested". Excitement, however, prevailed when "the Bien" raved. The swarm of bees was followed with loud noise, as according to old law no other claim to the colony as long as it was followed by the owners with all sorts of din and noise.
Especially in earlier times people believed in the Steinwald that "if a misfortune hits the house, it hits the bees and pigeons first", because they are defenseless against demonic instigators of the misfortune and the evil vent its anger on it. If the farmer died, the beehives were gently knocked when the corpse was removed from the yard, otherwise “the bees would die”. This is all the more remarkable as people usually refer to a dead animal as g'fräckt (warped).
Nowadays, beekeeping is no longer of great importance, and apart from professional beekeepers, beekeeping is no longer to be found in the Steinwald.
history
The stone forest was formed about 300 to 350 million years ago when different areas of the earth's crust were pushed over one another during the Variscan orogeny . In the following years, the old land surface weathered profoundly and was eroded. Due to the alpine folding , Central Europe has been raised again since the Cretaceous period , which caused the eroded mountain hulls to rise again and remain as today's rock formations. In the Tertiary , the many basalt domes , such as Armesberg or Teichelberg , that surround the stone forest were created.
In 1061 King Heinrich IV gave his Reich Ministerial Otnant von Eschenau a piece of forest in what was then Nordgau . The deed of donation shows that this forest was a royal forest and therefore had a clearing permit. As a result, large areas of the northern Gau were cleared in the 11th and 12th centuries to create settlement areas. The ending -reuth in many place names such as Pullenreuth , Riglasreuth , Grötschenreuth or Thumsenreuth indicates this clearing . The settlement and clearing made it possible to discover numerous ore deposits that were mined and smelted from the 14th century . Many rivers and streams offered sufficient hydropower and the large forest areas had a large number of trees for the production of charcoal . Due to these ideal conditions for ore extraction, 20 to 25 hammer mills were built around the Steinwald in the late Middle Ages . Around 1600 , the Upper Palatinate, and thus especially the Steinwald, took second place among the European iron centers. The result was an overexploitation of the forests due to the high demand for wood for ore smelting and charcoal burning . The Amberg government was informed about the increasing "desertification of the wood mountain" (stone forest). For fear of a wood shortage, the Waldeck governor Johann von Leuchtenberg issued the first forest regulations for the stone forest in 1540 .
25 years later, the "Upper Electoral Palatinate in Bavaria Forest Code" followed, which prescribed sustainable use and rejuvenation of the forests. However, this project was thwarted by the Thirty Years War . Furthermore, the forests were ruthlessly exploited. Because of the good charcoal that could be made from it, the cultivation of spruce and pine on the clear-cuts was encouraged. The deciduous trees were hardly rejuvenated, and the young trees were eaten by the grazing cattle. Thus, the hardwood almost completely disappeared from the former mixed forests . In the first half of the 18th century cattle were kept in stables , which led to extensive use of litter and now completely led to the decline of the looted forests. Only in the middle of the last century was a controlled forestry to overexploitation prevent the wood and finish.
Owner of the stone forest
The stone forest has always been divided between different lords. The threefold structure of the forest is striking:
- In the west, the district of Waldeck- Kemnath in Wittelsbach ,
- in the east the Stiftland under the rule of the Waldsassen monastery ,
- In the middle part several small domains (Fuchsmühl, Friedenfels, Thumsenreuth).
The western part of the forest had been in the hands of Wittelsbach since 1283 and had its own forest administration in the Waldeck Oberamt. However, a forest official seat in Kulmain was already known to the Leuchtenbergers around 1228 . The Kemnath Forestry Office has looked after this 3137 hectare section of the state forest since 1973 . After the secularization, the Mitterteich Forestry Office took over the 1345 hectare forest property of the former Waldsassen monastery.
The middle part of the stone forest covers 3318 hectares. Several large forest areas, formerly manorial possessions, shape the forest. The largest part of this center piece was in the possession of the ministerial family of the Notthracht . Today the von Gemmingen-Hornberg family, Friedenfels property management, owns this 1,800 hectare forest. The city of Augsburg owns 835 hectares of forest in the former Hofmarks area of Fuchsmühl . The city of Erbendorf owns 130 hectares and Waldershof 50 hectares of forest.
The rest of the private forest is of great importance with a total of 5121 hectares. 61% of the total forest area is accounted for by private forests, 32% by state forests and 7% by communal forests.
Border conflicts in the stone forest
At the latest since the 15th century there were disputes in the Steinwald about the course of the border. Participants were, on the one hand, the Notthracht family , whose domain extended from Weißenstein over a large part of the Steinwald forest, and, on the other hand, the Palatinate Wittelsbachers , who owned the Waldeck-Kemnath office belonging to the Kurpräzipuum .
The conflicts ended in a process that lasted from 1497 to 1499. Participants were Oswalt von Seckendorf, the authorized representative of the Elector and Count Palatine Philipp , and Hans Nothaft, representative of the Notthracht family. As part of this process, a local meeting was set in the Steinwald, in which the representatives of both parties took part. It was impossible to agree on the course of the border.
The local meeting was followed by several more meetings of the opposing parties in Waldeck. Then the governor in the Upper Palatinate, "Hanns von Helmstat Zu Gruseneckh, Vitzdome Zu Amberg", invited Hans Nothaft and Otwalt von Seckendorf on November 13, 1498 to Amberg . The two parties agreed that each could summon two "supplements" to arbitration. The chairman of the arbitral tribunal was Ludwig von Eyb.
The arbitral tribunal asked the two parties to name persons who could give "living testimony" to the conflict. These should be questioned by a "Commissarius" until Lichtmess 1498 . On December 10, 1498 the questioning of the witnesses in the Kemnath town hall began. Oswalt von Seckendorf had brought fifty witnesses, Hans Nothaft thirty. The witnesses were asked questions about the disputed border line as well as about forest work, hunting and court rights. There had been differences, especially in the use of the forest, since wood was an important raw material. The witnesses confirmed that the Weissenstein Lordship was often disputed by the Palatinate, and it was not uncommon for the citizens to pay forest interest to both the Weissenstein Lordship and the Palatinate.
It was similar with hunting law. Witnesses reported that the Notthaffte had the right to hunt in the Steinwald, but that this was partly contested by the Palatine officials. It was also about the so-called wild pits that the Notthaffte owned in the Steinwald. These were often deliberately destroyed by the Palatine hunters.
The jurisdiction was also disputed . The people questioned reported that judgments passed by the Weißenstein High Court were often overturned by the Palatine judges or that jurisdiction was challenged with the Weißensteiners. The Pfalzgräflichen nurses at Waldeck aimed to confiscate their property from those in need. They summoned witnesses whose testimony often confessed only the Weissenstein Castle itself to those in need.
After the witness questioning, the arbitral tribunal met several times in Kemnath to discuss the judgment. On the basis of the letter of purchase that Hans Nothaft was able to present, the court ruled in his favor. On May 5, 1499 the judgment was passed, which fixed the border between the Electoral Palatinate and the Weissenstein lordship once and for all. It confirmed the limit that Hans Nothaft had claimed when inspecting the site. In part, this limit still exists today; it separates the forests of the Freiherrn von Gemmingen-Hornberg from the western state forest (see also subsection Owners of the Stone Forest ). Some of the places mentioned in the judgment still exist today. Funkenau is a small hamlet north of Pullenreuth . Harlach is now called Harlachberg and is located east of Pullenreuth.
Origin of name
The name Steinwald does not come, as is often wrongly assumed, from the large number of rocks and stones in the forest. In a tax district map from 1814, Weißenstein Castle is referred to as Stein = Weißenstein. If one continues this idea, the Steinwald would then be the "Weißensteinwald", i. H. the stately forest that belonged to the castle. The name "Erbstainwald", which appears in many property deeds of the Notthaffte , also indicates this origin of the name . In these documents, Weißenstein Castle is often referred to as the "Castle on one side of the forest". The description of the neck court (judicial district) of the Weißenstein rule from the year 1631 gives the explanation for this strange term. It says in it:
- "On the same closed gezürk, villages, hammers, estates and forests with na-
- men,
- zwen hof, one seven lind, the other harpfersreuth,
- item two villages Poppenreuth and helmbrechts
- the rainforest called the slope, the other called stone forest
- both from Weißenstein and judge Redwitz and Siebenlind-wärt
- are half a mile away [...] "
The ridge in the north from the Platte to the Weißenstein and the then still existing demarcation of the Siebenlind desert bordered the historic stone forest. The place named in the source Harpfersreuth was devastated by the Swedes in 1632 - a forest meadow is the only thing that remained of Harpfersreuth. With Redwitz today's Marktredwitz is meant. Today's stone forest and the nature park of the same name have only the name in common with this historic forest area. The name Steinwald certainly comes from the early decades of the 19th century. The name Weißensteinerkette for the entire south-east flank of the Fichtelgebirge has been forgotten and is no longer used.
Say
There are numerous legends in the stone forest. Many of them deal with Weißenstein Castle, like this one here: “Already during the lifetime of Charlemagne or Ludwig the Blind , a Frisian prince named Rapotus or Radipold emigrated from his home country and came with his entourage to the Steinwald and the adjacent Fichtel Mountains. There he is said to have founded the village named after him, Rapotenriut (today Herzogöd). There was a brisk trade between the Slavs-Wends who were already living in the stone forest and the people of Rapotus. But one day he got into a dispute with his trading partners and his Palatinate Herzogöd was destroyed in the fight. So he built Weißenstein Castle further south, which is still standing today. "
There are also legends about unusual stone formations or natural occurrences. The legend explains the origin of the devil's stone as follows:
“The stone forest is characterized by many granite rocks protruding from the forest. At Napfberg there is one called the Teufelsstein. The devil wanted to use this rock to prevent the construction of the Fuchsmühl pilgrimage church. So he set off for Fuchsmühl. On the way he met a woman who was carrying her broken shoes on her back. When the devil wanted to know how far it was to Fuchsmühl, the woman showed him the soles of her torn shoes. Thereupon the devil is said to have become angry over the long distance and to have thrown the devil's stone on the ground where it is still today. "
Localities
- Bärnhöhe is a small place that belongs to Friedenfels . The name comes from an elevation near the place where bears used to stay.
- Dechantsees is one of the two districts of Pullenreuth and is located east of the Höllbach, which flows through Pullenreuth.
- Erbendorf is the largest settlement directly on the Steinwald and a state-approved resort . The city, first mentioned in a document in 1109 , functions as a sub-center with some additional attractions, such as B. a heated outdoor pool.
- The state-approved health resort Friedenfels is located in the middle of the stone forest. It is also crossed by the only direct road connection through the stone forest from Poppenreuth to Krummennaab . The baroque castle is worth seeing.
- Fuchsmühl is a market that is located on the eastern edge of the stone forest. The remarkable history of the place can also be seen in the Fuchsmühler Holzschlacht , in which rebellious farmers committed wood offenses after their right to the wood had previously been denied. The pilgrimage church Maria Hilf is worth seeing.
- The place Grötschenreuth is located just under three kilometers northeast of Erbendorf . There is also a castle in Grötschenreuth.
- Helmbrechts, not to be confused with the town of the same name in the Franconian Forest, is a district of Waldershof and is located west of Poppenreuth .
- Herzogöd belongs to the municipality of Fuchsmühl . It lies on a high elevation in the stone forest. According to a legend, Herzogöd was originally called Rapotenriut and was founded by a Frisian prince.
- Hohenhard is a district of Waldershof , which, however, belongs to the parish Pullenreuth. Colloquially, Hohenhard is also called "wasteland".
- Napfberg belongs to the city of Erbendorf. It is north of Pfaben .
- Pfaben is the most important place for tourism in the Steinwald, not least because of the "Steinwaldhaus" hotel located here. Numerous hiking trails cross here. This favorable location also contributes to the promotion of tourism in Pfaben.
- Next to Waldershof, Pullenreuth is the largest town in the northern and northeastern Steinwald. There are several guesthouses available for tourists.
- Thumsenreuth is located on the southern edge of the stone forest. The castle, the Protestant and the Catholic parish church are worth seeing.
- Trevesen is located in a kind of basin near the Steinwald and belongs to the municipality of Pullenreuth. The Fichtelnaab crosses the place.
Attractions
- The 35 meter high Oberpfalzturm is a lookout tower on the Platte , which at 946 meters forms the highest elevation in the stone forest. Centrally located in the stone forest, the Upper Palatinate Tower is a popular excursion and hiking destination, also because of the panoramic views that can be enjoyed here.
- To the east of the Steinwaldkamm, the Weißenstein castle ruins are located at a height of 863 meters . Its construction goes back to the 13th century. Today the ruin is a popular hiking destination, as the path to the Upper Palatinate Tower also passes here.
- The Hl. Kreuz-Kirche Dechantsee, known to the population mainly as Klausenkirche, is a church built around 1720 near Pullenreuth . It has a cruciform floor plan. There is a legend about the so-called Swedish Cross , which was on the roof of the church.
- Grötschenreuth Castle (private): On a hill in the town of Grötschenreuth on the Fichtelnaab is a privately owned castle. The building with a hipped roof , built in 1611 , was extended by a portal tower around 1870 . In 1924 a rear courtyard was built, and domed corner towers were added from 1924 to 1927 . Today the castle is a listed building .
- Steinwaldkirche St. Peter: St. Peter's Church, built from granite stones, has long since become a landmark of the Steinwald. The church, located near the village of Wäldern, was inaugurated in 1950 .
- Chapel with two large linden trees in Hohenhard: The Antonius chapel in Hohenhard was built in 1766 and is surrounded by two large linden trees. The most valuable part of the chapel is a late Gothic wooden relief on the choir wall that shows Jesus in the temple.
- The Marktredwitzer Haus, an accommodation facility of the Fichtelgebirgsverein , is located on the northern slope of the Steinwald south of Waldershof and is the starting point for various hikes in the Steinwald.
- The Reuth Castle is a two-story facility with überkuppeltem round tower in Reuth bei Erbendorf . The castle used to be owned by the Trautenberg family , the current owner is Freiherr von Podewils.
- The forest house is a former forest house in the stone forest. It is an important starting point for hikes, as it can be reached both from the south from Pfaben and from the north from Neuköslarn. In the vicinity of the forest house there is a deer enclosure, a playground and a shed as well as some benches with tables. Hiking trails z. B. to the plate, to the Reiseneggerfelsen or to the Saubadfelsen go from the Waldhaus.
Climb
In the stone forest there are some granite blocks and rocks that are approved for climbing. Some of the routes are relatively well secured, while others are somewhat less secure (these can often be defused with mobile securing devices such as friends or wedges ). The routes on Vogel- and Räuberfelsen are particularly recommended. The Bird Rock offers some of the easier trails, while the Robber Rock tends to have the more challenging routes. Another rock approved for climbing is the Ratsfelsen massif, consisting of Ratsfelsen, Y-crack rocks and Waldkopf.
hike
Many vacationers come to the stone forest to hike. Long-distance hiking trails that touch the stone forest are:
- The castle path is marked yellow-blue-yellow. It leads from Marktredwitz to the Weißenstein castle ruins and then on through the Upper Palatinate.
- The Goldsteig, a 600-kilometer hiking trail through the Upper Palatinate and Bavarian Forest , begins in Marktredwitz and leads across the Steinwald past the Weißenstein castle ruins.
- The Steinwaldweg is marked by a white and red rectangle. It is one of the main hiking trails of the Fichtelgebirgsverein and leads from the summit of the Kosseine to the Platte and from there to the Weißenstein castle ruins . The 38 kilometer long path ends in Waldsassen .
- The Südweg, also a main hiking trail of the Fichtelgebirgsverein, marked by a black S on a yellow background, leads from Neuenmarkt to the Armesberg . From here, the 68-kilometer path leads over the Waldhaus to Wiesau , where it ends.
From the hiking car park north of Pfaben , a nature trail leads to some of the natural beauties of the stone forest. Circular hiking trails start from Friedenfels and Erbendorf . Access roads from Neusorg , Waldershof , Marktredwitz , Poppenreuth , Fuchsmühl , Friedenfels and Erbendorf lead to the Hohen Steinwald .
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Emil Meynen , Josef Schmithüsen (Ed.): Handbook of the natural spatial structure of Germany . Federal Institute for Regional Studies, Remagen / Bad Godesberg 1953–1962 (9 deliveries in 8 books, updated map 1: 1,000,000 with main units 1960).
- ↑ Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald, Volume 3, pp. 26–33
- ↑ http://www.lwf.bayern.de/imperia/md/content/lwf-internet/veroeffnahmungen/lwf-wissen/49/lwf_wissen_49.pdf ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was created automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 17
- ↑ http://www.naturpark-steinwald.de/obere-träger/der-naturpark.html
- ↑ https://www.baysf.de/de/wald-schuetzen/bayerns-wilde-waelder/naturwaldreservate/naturwaldreservat-gitschger.html
- ↑ http://www.lwf.bayern.de/imperia/md/content/lwf-internet/veroeffnahmungen/lwf-wissen/49/lwf_wissen_49.pdf ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was created automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 14
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald, No. 6, pp. 26–35
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated February 9, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 157
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated February 9, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 159
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald, No. 10, pp. 55–62
- ↑ https://www.landschaft-artenschutz.de/habichtskauz-projekt/
- ↑ https://www.onetz.de/fuchsmuehl/vermischtes/gleichgewicht- between- oekonomie-und-oekologie-das-ziel-esskastanien-im-steinwald- d1797417.html
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald, Heft 1, p. 10f.
- ↑ Along the Grenzbach. Land and people at the Steinwald., P. 230f.
- ↑ Along the Grenzbach. Land und people am Steinwald., Pp. 109–112
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald, Volume 7, pp. 4-19
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald, Volume 5, pp. 3–6
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald, No. 5, pp. 7–22
- ↑ The original judgment is in the Notthracht archive U 698 / I in the BayHStA in Munich and can also be read in Oberpfälzer Heimat 42 , pp. 132f.
- ↑ Oberpfälzer Heimat 42, pp. 113–133
- ↑ Wir am Steinwald , No. 2, pp. 3–13 and Wir am Steinwald , No. 5, pp. 3–6
- ↑ Dr. Heinrich Berghaus: Fichtel Mountains and Franconian Jura (1834)
- ↑ Along the Grenzbach. Land and people at the Steinwald., P. 124f.
- ↑ Along the Grenzbach. Land and people at the Steinwald., P. 113
literature
- Steinwaldia Pullenreuth (Ed.): Wir am Steinwald , a regular series of books published by E. Bodner Pressath
- Steinwaldia Pullenreuth (ed.): From the saga treasure of the Steinwald , 1978.
- Hermann Braun : Under the spell of the mountains - legends from the Sechsämter-, Stift- and Egerland , 1978.
- Johann Baptist Lehner: Along the Grenzbach. Country and people at the Steinwald. , 1926, reprint 1991, Verlag E. Bodner, Pressath, ISBN 3-926817-13-5 .
- Anton Schmidt: Forestry and forestry in the Steinwald Nature Park , 1995 in "Oberpfälzer Heimat 39"
- Alfred Schiener, Bernhard Setzwein : Saubadfelsen and Katzentrögel. The stone forest . Buch- und Kunstverlag Oberpfalz, Amberg 1996, ISBN 3-924350-55-8 .
- Erich Schraml: The whale pots in the stone forest? , 1997 in “The Seven Star. Association magazine of the Fichtelgebirgsverein 66 "
- Harald Stark : Border conflicts in the Steinwald. Attacks by the Electorate of the Palatinate on the Weissenstein rule in the 15th century , in 1998 in the Upper Palatinate home 42.
- Dietmar Herrmann: The high stone forest in the Fichtelgebirge; in: Unser Fichtelgebirge 1/2008, pp. 17–32.
- www.dav-weiden.de/gebietsinformation - Information on climbing regulations in the stone forest and on the individual climbing rocks
- Dietmar Herrmann: The forest house in the stone forest; in: Der Siebenstern Heft 4-2016, p. 8
cards
- Fritsch hiking map No. 52 Fichtelgebirge Nature Park, 1: 50,000
- Bavarian Land Surveying Office, Munich, topographic map 1: 25,000, Steinwald Nature Park
