An excellent day out. Plenty to see and do. I suppose you could relate this to Avebury Stones in the UK. Similar history etc. I recommend a visit.
This strange rock formation appears to have fascinated humans from the earliest times. Some say that it is the German Stonehenge, with a room carved into the rock that once contained a golden bowl to illuminate the entire area on the summer solstice. Others point to its use as a Christian religious house in Middle Ages. It is a strange formation, jutting out of the earth at a precarious angle. There are ancient and modern steps and walkways on the stones to allow the more adventurous to climb to the top for a commanding view. There is also a building housing an exhibit highlighting both the human history and the natural wildlife of the park. There is no charge to visit the site, but it costs 3 Euros to climb the stones. Tip: You can purchase a combination ticket for 4.5 Euros that allows you to climb this monument and Hermannsdenkmal,
Very under-appreciated outside Germany. I have mixed feelings about the easy access to the top of the rocks. It is also a pity that the forest has been cleared to the east of the formation.
Once you negotiate the stairs up the view is great. It's a bit narrow but there are safety railings.
If the weather is nice the Externsteine is a great place to go, climb over the stones, have a picnic and have a walk around the woods
There are many short and long walking paths through the Teutoburger Wald, where it never is crowded - except near to the Externsteine during the weekends-
Why go to Externsteine? Because nature made a masterpiece. What you do there is up to you. You can be the tourist, make pictures, run from structure to structure- complain about the high stairs- most people over there do just that. One layer is the touristlayer, and tourists do not always show respect to what nature made: a gem, a jewel in the landscape.Or maybe you see the other layer, wich attracks people who try to live a spiritual live. New agers, witches, pagans, who come to this place because this is a place of power. Some of them do not always show respect, some of them are spiritual tourists. Some are not and come to pay respect to this place. This is not an amusementparc. Please don't treat it that way...
As i walked over there i had a great humble feeling compared to natureThe stones are beautifull, and you can climb on themThere is also a great exposition who will explane the history of the stones as well as what the stones ment to humans through historyAlso a great place to have a picknick on a sunny afternoon
Hi ! I went there twice, a few years ago, 'cause it's really fascinating ! But the big news is that as last someone has written a handy book for travelers all about this place, in English ! It's really amazing what the ancient Celts of Europe were doing there, why they wanted all those strange images and astronomical alignments, and how the Romans and Charlemagne were against the Celts ! The book is Damien Pryor's, "The Externsteine".
A "must" if you're in the area, the Externsteine is a neat exhibit, easy to get to and a great place to walk around and let the kids burn off some energy.