Felsenmeer Odenwald

Описание: This natural "sea of stones" was once used by the Romans as a quarry.

Despite often resembling a scree slope of large stones, this Felsenmeer (or blockfield) has a unique history.

These stones did not originate from the mountain but were formed by a weathering process that took place underground. As the surface eroded, these massive rocks were gradually exposed. The most widely accepted theory is that they were created by frost weathering, though some suggest that subsurface chemical weathering also played a role. This Felsenmeer is one of the most stunning in Germany. It is part of the Geo-Nature Park Bergstrasse-Odenwald, located just south of Darmstadt.

After being exposed, the rocks were significantly shaped by glaciation processes around 10,000 years ago, during multiple Ice Ages, which gave them their rounded form. 

The Romans occupied this part of Germany during the 3rd and 4th centuries CE. Evidence of stone masonry can still be seen across the rocks, as they used the Felsenmeer as a quarry.

Many of the stones, both naturally formed and modified, have been given specific names, such as the “Altar Stone” and the impressive, yet entirely natural, “Crocodile.” A major attraction at the site is a massive column intended for a Roman temple, which, for some unknown reason, was never removed from the site.

This remarkable natural phenomenon is located in a picturesque wooded glade on the slopes of a hill known as Feldberg.

See: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/f...