Sidestone
The Seitenstein is a basalt formation in the municipality of Hellenhahn-Schellenberg in the High Westerwald . It has the status of an extensive natural monument (ND-7143-454).
description
The side stone stands within a closed but sparse deciduous forest and does not tower over the treetops, so that it cannot be seen from outside the forest and does not offer a view itself. It has an elongated, round shape with a circumference of around 200 m. The medium gray, rugged basalt rock is easy to climb. The summit is 25 meters above the surrounding, 496 m high terrain.
The rock can be reached on several small paths from nearby forest paths.
In the coat of arms of the municipality of Hellenhahn-Schellenberg, the side stone is depicted as a silver rock.
Emergence
About 25 million years ago, hot magma rose from the earth to the surface and then cooled down too unevenly to give rise to regular columns of basalt . This is how the irregular shapes were created, which from a distance look like a pile of stones, but form a coherent rock and have since been rounded off by weathering processes.
legend
A local legend tells of dwarfs who live on or in the side stone and have accumulated great wealth. Once they are said to have offered a passing pedestrian to fill their pockets. But he ran home and got a big sack. When he reached the stone again, the dwarves and their treasures were gone. Since then, it has been advised to have a sack with you when you pass the Seitenstein.
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 36 ′ 6.2 " N , 8 ° 2 ′ 33.4" E