Bartenstein

The Bartenstein is a basalt ridge in the High Westerwald, rising to 617.6 m. It stretches for 750 m from Gusternhain towards Heisterberg, marking the eastern edge of the Westerwald’s peaks above 600 m. The ridge’s northern slope exposes raw basalt where the old Rhine road once ran in the Middle Ages. The summit is listed in the Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus Geopark as a geological highlight. The Westerwaldsteig trail passes here, linking the Herbstlabyrinth cave to Heisterberg Pond. Nearby, the 20 ha Viehweide am Barstein nature reserve preserves the traditional grassland farming once common across the High Westerwald. Local maps now show the name Bartenstein, though locals still call it Barstein. A legend tells of a singer chained to the rock by a cruel count, later found alive by hunters. The Baar, a separate hill 1.7 km southwest, should not be confused with this ridge.