PARKSTEIN...volcano and Abby!

Everyday when I walk my kids to school I can see something far out in the distance. It is a high peak way up in the horizon. I finally asked someone what that was way up there. Was is a church? Old castle ruins??....What I found amazed me! It was indeed a church or Abby....but it was indeed onTOP of a volcano!!! A volcano??? How cool is that????

So on a Saturday afternoon I took the girls out back to look at it. I said to them wanna go to the top? They thought I was joking and said of course......so off we went to find this volcano.

The Basalt Formations were so pretty, and I was even amazed. I have never seen anything like that before.

Parkstein is an important geological point of interest. The prominent Basalt Hill raising from the Weidener Basin can be seen from a far distance. The hill top consists of basalt and volcanic tuff. The summit of the hill is 595 meters above sea level (about 1800 ft.). The Basalt Wall is 38 meters high (about 118 ft.). The Basalt Hill is the result of a volcano which occurred 24 million years ago during Tertiary Age. The crystalline forms on the Basalt Wall with their five and six cornered columns still fascinate visitors today.

Set up on top is the church Called Saint Mary's Mountain Church and this is the church cross that we can see out in the distance from our neighborhood.

And a view from the top to get an idea of just how high up we were.

We plan to come back when the 100s of steps up to the top are not so icy. But it sure was a fun adventure!

And a giggle of a sign!!