Langenstein
Holsthum
"Menhir" is the name given to large, freestanding stones that may have been erected in special places thousands of years ago. There are also "Langensteine", "Langsteine" or "Lange Steine" in many other places, and it is not uncommon - including here - for the fields to be named after them.
It is not known whether the Langenstein on the edge of the forest south-east of the Schankweiler Klause is actually a menhir that was erected on this site in the late Neolithic period between the 5th and 3rd millennium BC. The stone pillar with the oval cross-section, which tapers towards the top, looks small, but perhaps the larger part of the sandstone block is buried in the ground. It stands on the slope that forms the edge of the Ferschweiler plateau towards the Enz valley, in a low embankment.
Insider tip:
Take a "menhir hike" across the Ferschweiler plateau: Langenstein, Druidenstein, Fraubillenkreuz and the "nameless" Nusbaum menhirs not far from the Fraubillenkreuz can easily be combined on one tour.
