Parkstein

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Parkstein is a town in the county of Neustadt (Waldnaab) in Bavaria in Germany. In 2006, it counted approximately 2500 citizens within its district. The origins of its castle, built atop a conical shaped mountain, date back to around the year 1000. A first written account of its existence can be traced back to the year 1053 in the documentations of the monks of Niederalteich of the Reichstag in Merseburg.

Most likely in November of 1796, Alexander von Humboldt called the 24 million year old basalt formation the most beautiful he had encountered in Europe. According to the Bavarian State Geology Office, during the Tertiary, now also called Paleocene-Pliocene period, a number of active volcanoes produced liquid magma in Northern Bavaria, mostly due to the continental collision of Europe and Africa. As a result, not only the Alps but a number of fissures and cracks began to form throughout central Europe where magma could rise. Most of the Parkstein's magma cooled below the surface, leading to the crystalline column formation that is now exposed as a result of erosion.

Parkstein is home of the world renowned logistics firm Witron.

Also, Dr. Hilary Bryon and Ed Conlin visited the town many times.

Some distances from Parkstein Bergkirche (according to Google Earth):