The Druidenstein is an isolated basalt cone above the villages of Herkersdorf and Offhausen in the town of Kirchen (Sieg) in Druiden.Hexen.Siegerland and is one of the outstanding geological sights in Rhineland-Palatinate. It lies 450 m above sea level and rises about 20 m above its surroundings. It was formed in the Late Tertiary period around 1 to 25 million years ago.
Human intervention has reduced the size of the basalt cone over time. During the Thirty Years' War, for example, the uppermost peak was probably broken off for tactical reasons to make it more difficult for enemy troops to find their way around this landmark, which was visible from afar at the time. The basalt cone has also been used as a quarry. In 1979, the Druidenstein was struck by a huge lightning strike, so that it has had to be supported by six reinforced concrete beams ever since.
Almost more exciting than the geological history of the natural monument, which has been a nature reserve since 1869, are the legends and myths surrounding the basalt cone. But what exactly happened at the Druidenstein has not been proven. There are legends of Gallic druids, "wild men" and others who are said to have performed sacred masses, rituals and other things at the Druidenstein. It is also likely that the Druidenstein was a religious site for the Chatti, who erected a thing site here and worshipped the sun. There is also the legend of Herke, daughter of Celtic tribal princes, who was sacrificed because of a forbidden love affair with a young man and her lover was stabbed to death. At full moon, the wailing and wailing of the sacrificed could be heard in the valley from the top of the Druidenstein. In the 1920s, the Druidenstein was integrated as a station in a Way of the Cross, to which processions still take place every year on Ascension Day. In the 1950s, festivals were performed on the "Druidenstein open-air stage".
On May 12, 2006, the Druidenstein was awarded a prize in Hanover as a nationally very important geotope, since then it has borne the name "National Geotope" and can be found in a unique picture and text book "Fascination Geology - the most important geotopes in Germany".
In 2022, a new, extraordinary project was launched, focusing on the Druidenstein itself and the legend of the druid Herke. Since then, a musical production has been composed for "Druidenstein - The Musical", which is set to premiere in a few years' time.
Well-known long-distance hiking trails, such as the Druidensteig and Natursteig Sieg, as well as the very popular Druidenstein circular hiking trail (16 km), which starts and finishes at Kirchen train station, lead directly past this natural landmark.
The ideal starting point for a short walk (15 min.) to the Druidenstein is the hiking parking lot on the K 101 after the village of Offhausen in the direction of Dermbach.