Stöffel-Park

With its surface area of half a square mile the Stöffel mountain is labelled the largest coherent basalt qarrying area in the Westerwald region. In 1902 the Adrian company started with the implementation of the first rock crusher and a train loading facility, thus launching industrial basalt extraction and providing Enspel, located in the economically underdeveloped Westerwald, with the chance to prosper. The Stöffel Park recalls this process form the beginning until today. The almost completely preserved plant facilities are a unique record of German industrial heritage. No other site dedicated to the industrial extraction and processing of basalt owns more machines, tools and buildings. The facilities, some of them surviving from the 1930s, some of them added later to be used until 2001, are a representative example of the basalt working industry in the Westerwald region and beyond.

In 1992 a small mammal with patagium (gliding membranes) was greeted with enthusiasm by lay persons and professional audience alike. The so called "Stöffel Mouse" became a sensation and was one of the most spectacular tertiary findings in the Stöffel park. It was followed by 20.000 further discoveries including mammals, reptiles, insects, fish, amphibians and plants. They make a visit to the Stöffel park a time travelling experience, ranging from ages more than 25 million years ago to the history of basalt extraction in the 20th century and today's impressive quarry scenery.