Königstein

Geschichte

The Königstein is a high hill in the northern Harz Foreland in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also known as the Kamelfelsen ("Camel Rocks") due to its unusually shaped sandstone rock formation.Location and areaThe Königstein lies in the northern Harz Foreland, northwest of Westerhausen (near Quedlinburg) on the road towards Börnecke. Its neighbouring hill to the northwest is the high Jätchenberg. The federal road B 6n runs by to the north. The Königstein is a ridge running from northwest to southeast. Its northeastern flank is relatively steep, but its southwestern slopes fall away much more gently. It is mostly covered in deciduous forest. The vineyard on the southern slopes of the Königstein belongs to the Saale-Unstrut wine-growing area. The crest of the ridge is dominated by the striking Kamelfelsen rocks, whose name derives from their shape: seen from the south or north they are supposed to resemble two camels lying down.The ''Kamelfelsen''The Kamelfelsen consist of hardened sandstone, which also has very soft and crumbly sections. This rock formation, like the well-known Teufelsmauer, was created as a result of the formation of the fault-block mountains of the Harz and the earth movements in the northern Harz Foreland resulting from it. Like the nearby Teufelsmauer, the Königstein is a "rib" of harder rock (Schichtrippe) from the Lower Cretaceous. The Königstein was first placed under protection as a geological feature in 1932 and has been registered as a natural monument since 1997. There are several climbing routes on the Kamelfelsen up to climbing grade VIIIb (Saxon grading).