Location: |
Hohe Straße, Staatsstraße S 169 between Langenhennersdorf Forsthaus and Rosenthal OT Bielatal.
Navi: Harald-Schurz-Weg, 01816 Langenhennersdorf (50.887917, 14.031829) |
Open: |
no restrictions. [2021] |
Fee: |
free. [2021] |
Classification: | Gorge |
Light: | bring torch |
Dimension: | Ar=3.5 ha. |
Guided tours: | self guided |
Photography: | allowed |
Accessibility: | no |
Bibliography: | |
Address: | |
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info. |
1826 | designated Philosophensteine (Philosopher's Stones) by Carl Merkel in his guidebook. |
15-SEP-1887 | in the journal About Mountain and Valley No.11 of the Gebirgsverein (Mountain Club), a clearing and marking of the labyrinth is mentioned for the first time. |
1910 | in the 10th edition of Meinholds Führer (Meinhold's Guide), a marking with continuous numbers from 1-30 is mentioned for the first time. |
1979 | designated as an Area Nature Monument. |
2015 | filming for the fairytale film Heart of Stone. |
The Rock Labyrinth Langenhennersdorf, also known as the Sandstone Labyrinth, is a typical sandstone formation of the Elbe Sandstone Region. It is located on the western edge, on the border with the Ore Mountains. The name was probably coined during the Romantic period in the 19th century. The rocks are only 5 to 15 metres high, but due to erosion they form an area that is difficult to see through. The weathering of the sandstone along the fissures has not only widened them, it has also created hourglass-shaped formations and small caves. The caves are mostly formed by the chemical dissolution of the lime-rich binder and subsequent erosion of the loose sand by rainwater and wind. A numbered path through the labyrinth was first laid out for visitors around 1910, which helps immensely with orientation. Guidebooks from the 19th century advise against visiting, especially without a knowledgeable guide.
The labyrinth is easily accessible from the hikers' car park on the S 169 state road between Langenhennersdorf Forsthaus and Rosenthal OT Bielatal. From here, a wide path leads 500 m uphill to the entrance of the labyrinth. The rock at the entrance to the labyrinth is called Labyrinth Guard and is approved as a climbing rock. A total of eight routes lead up, the easiest is the Alte Weg and has difficulty level III according to the Saxon difficulty scale. The labyrinth is divided into almost rectangular towers along two main directions of the cliff. These run northwest to southeast and northeast to southwest. From the entrance, one crosses the labyrinth once in an anti-clockwise direction. You pass a dozen natural bridges, some overhanging rocks and four small caves. The names of the individual rock formations are mostly modern, only a few have been handed down from the 19th century.
Many of the crevices and caves are narrow, the rock is damp and mossy. Torches are useful but not necessary. In any case, sturdy hiking boots and old clothes which can get dirty are advisable. We also recommend gloves and helmets.