The 10 Most Amazing Peaks around Oberthal

Great tour through nature peppered with wonderful viewpoints

The Schaumberg is a mountain in Saarland and the highest elevation in the Prims-Blies-Hügelland natural area. The mountain is a cone mountain of volcanic origin. With a height of 568.2 m and the striking Schaumberg tower, it is visible from a long distance and is considered the “local mountain of the Saarland”, also in keeping with the tradition that it was the highest mountain in the former Saar region. It is located in the St. Wendel district in the municipality of Tholey between the towns of Tholey and Theley. The 37.5 m high tower stands approx. 120 m southeast of the summit and allows a wide view of the surrounding area. The view extends to the Hunsrück in the north, to the Saargau in the west and beyond to the French Cattenom nuclear power plant and to Saarbrücken in the south. If the weather is very clear, you can see as far as the Vosges. The tower contains a memorial for the soldiers of Germany and France who fell in the world wars, which was designed by the sculptor Richard Hoffmann. As a German-French meeting place, the tower is intended to be a sign of friendship between the two countries.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐫 From a geological point of view, the »Steinernes Meer« is a heap of scree made from weathered material from the Weiselberg. From a geological point of view, this sea of rocks at the foot of the mountain is a work of the Ice Age. The last ice age only ended around 10,000 years ago. Magma rising underground got stuck under the earth's surface and solidified into mostly pentagonal column formations, quite typical of slowly cooling basalt rock. Over the course of millions of years, the surrounding softer sedimentary rock was removed by erosion. In geology, the very hard rock, which shines deep black when cut and is reminiscent of a starry sky with its bright feldspar particles, has been given the name »Weiselbergite«. The frost change climate during this geological epoch caused extreme weathering and erosion processes that were able to separate the blocks and columns weighing several tons from the rock structure. Not least because of the extreme daily temperature fluctuations, the steep southern slope of the Weiselberg with the typical vertical basalt columns offered the best conditions for the formation of the Felsenmeer. The boulders collected on the mountainside and have since been exposed to weathering. Covered with mosses, the »Steinernes Meer« repeatedly gave rise to eerie legends: Whether wild cyclopes played with it or the remains of an enchanted castle are left to the imagination of the observer. The Romans were already digging for agates on the surface of the Weiselberg. From the 15th century, when only little was to be found above ground and a veritable agate boom began, the agate seekers went deep. Some tunnels buried today bear witness to this. After the war there were concrete considerations to dismantle the Weiselberg as a quarry. This was prevented by the designation as a nature reserve in October 1950. In earlier times, the minerals of this region such as agate, chalcedony, jasper and petrified wood were processed in the gemstone metropolis of Idar-Oberstein. 3000 of these precious stones can be viewed in the Mineralogical Museum in the old school in Oberkirchen (0 68 55/332) and in the Mineral Museum (2000 exhibits) in Freisen (0 68 55/13 25). In the Gemstone Dorado in Freisen, treasure hunters can search for gemstones themselves. (0 68 55/1849 31) Source: Text information board

𝑮𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒕𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒎 𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎 𝑲𝒓𝒆𝒖𝒛 𝒃𝒆𝒊 𝑺𝒐𝒕𝒛𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 In 1914 a tower in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II was to be built on the mountain plateau. However, the execution of this plan was interrupted by the First World War. Only a 5 m high ruin remained, on which a tower with an integrated war memorial chapel was built from 1927. The larger-than-life crucifix set in the central arch of the tower was striking. This tower had to be demolished in 1972 because it was in disrepair. The undamaged crucifix should be blown up. The construction workers, all from the Catholic villages in the vicinity or of Italian origin, refused to blow up the symbol of faith. The crucifix was removed undamaged, kept for a short time in a shed on the edge of the mountain plateau and later set up not far from the motorway junction near Sotzweiler. Source: Text Wikipedia

𝑹ö𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝑯ö𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒈 The extensive excavations that were carried out during the redesign of the Schaumberg plateau showed for the first time that the area was already being used intensively in Roman times. An extensive building with mighty walls in particular deserves attention. It proves that the square was already built on in the 3rd century AD. The foundation stone of the building took place in the 1st / 2nd Century AD. The oldest part is a wall at least 19m long and 1.1m thick made of hand blocks, which belonged to a 12m wide building, against which several vaulted cellars were placed shortly afterwards. A coin find shows that these cellars were demolished towards the end of the 3rd century AD and the building was reinforced by a row of arched walls. Very unusual and almost unknown from archaeological excavations, these arches do not open inwards but outwards. The building is interpreted as a high altitude sanctuary, which later became a fortification structure. Source: Text information board

𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐳𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐠 The approximately 16 km long Weiselberg summit tour in Oberkirchen leads through a varied hilly landscape around the Weiselberg (569m). Light-flooded beech forests allow spectacular views over and over again. Mighty rock formations, a waterfall and many other natural gems promise an eventful hiking tour. Particularly impressive are the "Eulental", a narrow Kerbtal, the "Steinern Cabinet", the Oberkirchen Viaduct, the Weiselberg summit with wonderful views and the "Steinernes Meer" on the Weiselberg. You can refresh your tired feet at the water treading facility in Oberkirchen. A visit is recommended In the natural game park Freisen with a bird of prey show. The wonderful Weiselbergbad Oberkirchen invites you to relax at the end of the hiking tour. The two mineral musts in Freisen and Oberkirchen show many local rocks. Source: Text information board Starting point: Weiselbergbad Oberkirchen Route length: 15.6km Elevation gain: 565 m Difficulty level: medium Walking time: 4 - 5 hours Recommended walking direction: counterclockwise 𝐖𝐞𝐠𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐠 https://www.urlaub.saarland/Media/Touren/Weiselberg-Gipfeltour

The new alpine hut is a premium hiking trail highlight and of course for the biker too, great management 👍

From here you have a good view of the Schaumberg.