Bruchhausen Rocks

Above the village of Bruchhausen four grey rock towers rise out of the forest on the Istenberg, so striking that you can see them from all over the valley. The Bruchhausen Rocks are among the most striking rock formations in the Sauerland and have been protected since 2017 as a National Natural Monument, only the second in Germany. You may climb one of the four, and at the top, next to the summit cross, the High Sauerland lies at your feet.

The four rocks

• Bornstein: at around 92 metres of rock face the tallest. The name comes from Middle Low German "borne", a spring, referring to a pool of water on the summit. Peregrine falcons breed here.
• Feldstein: about 45 metres high, but its summit at 756 metres is the highest point, even 28 metres above the summit of the Istenberg itself. It is the only rock you may climb, via the Thomas-Neiss-Steige path. A 9-metre wooden cross stands on top.
• Goldstein: about 60 metres high, probably named after quartz inclusions that shimmer like gold. On its east face, with a little imagination, you can make out the profile of the "Great Elector".
• Ravenstein: about 72 metres high, probably named after ravens.

How the rocks formed

The bedrock is soft shale laid down in a Devonian sea. Later, lava forced its way into cracks in the shale and set into hard volcanic rock. As the mountains were worn down over millions of years, the shale weathered away while the hard lava rock stayed standing. The rocks have been designated a National Geotope since 2006.

A fort between the rocks

In the early and middle Iron Age a hill fort of 8 to at least 11 hectares lay between the four main rocks, and remains of its ramparts are still visible. Whether people lived here permanently, or whether it served only as a refuge or a place of worship, is still unknown. A bronze arm ring was found in 2013, and an Iron Age quartz pit near the Feldstein summit in 2024 and 2025.

Good to know

Alpine rock cress grows on the rocks, an Ice Age relic whose nearest other populations are in the Black Forest. Mosses and lichens otherwise at home in the Alps and the Arctic also thrive here. Eagle owls last bred here in 1876; the chicks were taken and sent to the zoo in Münster. Since 1992 the area of around 85 hectares has belonged to a foundation set up by the state.

Visiting, prices and times (as of October 2026)

• Site visiting hours: daily 10:00–20:00; admission is charged.
• Admission: adults €6.50, children (6–16) €3.50, family ticket €14.50.
• Parking: at the info centre €3.50, or €5 including the drive up to the Panoramaplatz.
• Info centre with exhibition, café and shop: March to October Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00, November to March weekends only 10:00–15:00, daily 10:00–15:00 during the Christmas holidays.

Allow two to three hours for the circuit of all four rocks including the climb up the Feldstein. The climb is steep and you need sturdy shoes. Dogs are welcome on a lead but not on the Feldstein. Cycling is prohibited in the nature reserve.

Getting there and accessibility

Use Hochsauerlandstraße 1, Olsberg-Bruchhausen as your satnav address, then follow the signs. By bus, take line R31 from Olsberg to "Unter den Steinen". The main circular trail is not suitable for wheelchairs. With a pushchair or limited mobility, drive up to the Panoramaplatz, from where a broad, level gravel path leads almost to the Feldstein.

Tripto tip

To see the rocks at full size from below, walk down to the meadows around Bruchhausen after your visit. In early summer, when the flowers are out, the four rocks sit like a crown above the forest.