Scheibenberg Basalt

About this spectacle

Scheibenberg is a distinctive flat-topped hill rising above the town of Scheibenberg in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Saxony, Germany. Its summit plateau exposes a striking array of columnar basalt pillars, naturally jointed into regular hexagonal and polygonal columns that resemble the pipes of a cathedral organ. Visitors walk among and around these stone columns, running their hands along the cool, grey-black rock faces and marvelling at the geometric precision wrought by ancient volcanic cooling. The panoramic views from the plateau sweep across the rolling forested ridgelines of the Erzgebirge. The site is accessible year-round, and the contrast of dark basalt against snow in winter or green woodland in summer offers a different visual character in each season. The columns are best appreciated close-up, where the regularity of the jointing and the scale of the individual pillars become fully apparent.

When to go

Year-round

Getting there

Nearest city: Chemnitz.

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