The Externsteine are a distinctive rock formation located in the Teutoburger Wald region of northwestern Germany, not far from the city of Detmold. The formation consists of several tall, narrow columns of rock which rise abruptly from the surrounding wooded hills.
It is likely that the Externsteine site was a center of religious or cultic activity for the Teutonic peoples and their predecessors, prior to the arrival of Christianity in that part of Europe. The last Heathen inhabitants of the region were Saxons, and following their defeat and conversion by Charlemagne, extensive rock carvings with Christian images were carved on the Externsteine themselves.
The site has been of interest to various German nationalist movements over the years, and continues to be a frequently-visited point of interest.
