'Berger Wacken' and Hunolstein Castle
If you are traveling along the old Roman road
"Via Ausonia"
through the Haardtwald forest towards the village of Gräfendhron
and have passed the small connecting road Talling-Berglicht, you
eventually encounter a less conspicuous and easily overlooked
signpost with the inscription "Berger Wacken". This leads
downwards from the Roman road. After a few minutes you abruptly
reach an enormous rock, which is hard to make out in the dense
stand of trees even though it is several meters high. It is
composed of very hard quartzite rock, which is part of a
quartzite ridge several kilometers long that is visible here. A
visit to this natural monument should not be missed.
Back on the Roman road, a little later you pass the turnoff
towards the mystic spring Haardtquelle located solitarily
on a wood glade and surrounded by dark forests. A mineral spring
with natural carbonation from 100 m deep is located there. The carbon
dioxide, which visibly escapes in small bubbles, gives the water
a fizzy freshness with a slightly tart flavor.