Steinkirche bei Scharzfeld

Located between the Mönche and Bremketal valleys, the stone church near Scharzfeld is a round-arched dolomite rock cave whose use can be traced back to the Stone Age. It is considered an important cultural monument in Lower Saxony and is located on the slope of the Steinberg above the village of Scharzfeld, which belongs to the town of Herzberg, and consists of a large forecourt and an almost quadrangular cave room.

Once you reach the forecourt, you will be greeted by the large round arch through which you can enter the stone church. Inside the stone church, the mighty hall is impressive, measuring up to 28 metres in length and eight metres in height. Once you reach the centre of the cave, an altar carved in stone immediately catches the eye, as does the opening of a deep shaft right next to it. However, it is still not clear what this was used for.

The stone church and its forecourt were probably used by reindeer hunters more than 10,000 years ago (around 8000 BC) as a place to rest and camp, as archaeologists have found in excavations. It is assumed that the Germanic tribes used the cave as a place of worship and that it served as an early Christian church around 1,000 years ago, as suggested by a pulpit carved into the dolomite rock on the south wall of the cave. Next to the pulpit, the altar area and the niche for the holy water font are still recognisable today. Church services have been held here since around the early Middle Ages. Not only was the cave converted into a church, but the forecourt was also used as a cemetery forecourt, which fell into oblivion from the 16th century.

According to legend, the stone church was consecrated as a place of worship by the Christian missionary Boniface in 732. This would make it the oldest church in the entire Harz region. It is also assumed that the cave was converted into a replica of the rock tomb during the Crusades. Like many places in the Harz Mountains, there are numerous legends surrounding the stone church. Not only St Boniface is said to have worked here, but also a number of wise women and hermits. Even today, the attraction of the stone church seems to be unbroken, as candle remains and incense sticks can be found inside during pagan festivals.

The best way to reach the stone church from Scharzfeld is on foot during a short but beautiful hike along the signposts. If you are travelling by car, the car park below the bridge on the main road 27, which crosses the Mönchetal valley at this point, is a good starting point. From here, the stone church just a few hundred metres further on is easy to reach thanks to the signposted path. If you follow the path uphill to the summit of the Steinberg nature reserve after reaching the Steinkirche, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the cliffs and mixed forests of the Steinberg once you reach the top.