At 390 million years old, it is still in demand

Around Lindlar, sandstone approximately 390 million years old is extracted. It occurs in various layers and hardnesses in the Bergisches Land. Its colour varies between grey-blue, grey-green and grey-brown tones. The term “Grauwacke”, commonly used today, is much younger: it only became a trade term about 250 years ago.

During the Middle Devonian period, when the Bergisch Grauwacke was formed, Lindlar was situated on the edge of a shallow subtropical sea. Rivers continuously brought sandy sediments into the sea, which sank to the bottom and solidified over millions of years under the pressure of new deposits. Towards the end of the Devonian period, this sandstone was folded by the movement of tectonic plates. From the tropical sea, an alpine mountain range emerged. Over hundreds of millions of years, weathering and erosion shaped the several-thousand-metre-high peaks into the medium-sized mountains that form the landscape today.

In 2008, the renowned geologist Peter Giesen uncovered a two-and-a-half-metre-long sandstone block in a quarry at Brungerst, which contained two completely embedded specimens of Calamophyton primaevum. Presumably, a flood buried the up to three-metre-high ancient ferns under layers of sand and mud, leading to their petrification. Lindlar is the location of the world’s oldest known forest: 390 million years old!

Experience the Bergisch Grauwacke up close: During a knowledgeable guided tour of an active quarry operation, you will learn interesting facts about the work of pounders and tippers or discover million-year-old evidence of history while searching for water lilies, shellfish and shells. The light railway in the LVR Open-Air Museum Lindlar and the Stonecutter’s Path, a 6.2-kilometre-long hiking trail, also bear witness to the significance of the quarrying industry. You can find all information about the offerings from LindlarTouristik and our regional partners at www.lindlar-touristik.de.

Lindlar is the location of the world’s oldest forest.