Where is idar oberstein

It was built by baron Wyrich IV in , allegedly in remorse for killing the brother of a knight. Inside the church you will discover an extraordinary altarpiece, a natural trickling fountain, the famous agate cross, and an original silent organ. Take note of the Gothic baptismal front and the Renaissance paintings of apostles by Stephan Graf. This is a unique and exquisite sanctuary. Neighboring the church are the ruins of two medieval castles that you will surely want to see.

Although not much remains of the Bosselstein, erected in , the Schloss Oberstein, with its double defense parapets, has been largely restored to the glory of its beginnings in Positioned on the banks of the Nahe river, the two neighboring villages of Idar and Oberstein are at the center of a region where agate was hand mined for thousands of years.

As early as the late s, mechanized mining operations to extract agate, jasper and quartz created employment for gem cutters and stone carvers who flocked to the region. The river was the main energy source used to power the lapidary machines which were directly connected to water wheels. Using these machines was somewhat awkward as the stone-cutters of the time were forced to carry out most of their work whilst lying on their stomachs. Some of these water powered wheels can still be seen in some of the town's historic buildings.

In the s the agate deposits along the Nahe River began to be depleted, but by that time gem cutting was the mainstay of its inhabitants. To stay in business, they began to import rough stones from Brazil, where discoveries of amethyst , citrine , tourmaline , topaz and other gemstone materials had been made. By the end of the nineteenth century, gems from around the world were being shipped to Idar-Oberstein for cutting by its famous artisans, and there were literally hundreds of cutting houses in the town and surrounding villages.

However this very fame led to the end of the industry's heyday - wages in the area became too high to warrant cutting less valuable stones and many gem-cutters were forced to emigrate to Brazil. However, many of the artisans and their families remained to continue the tradition through the generations, and today Idar-Oberstein is still famous for some of the finest agate carving in the world. The cutters still import a large variety of other gemstones from around the world for cutting and carving, and master cameo carvers and modern lapidary artists alike still flourish, as do the dealers who import rough stones from gem markets around the world.

One of the most famous families in Idar-Oberstein today is the Munsteiner family. Berndt Munsteiner , known as the father of the fantasy cut, is a third-generation cutter who says he was never asked whether he wanted to be a cutter or not, but simply fulfilled his parents' expectations by training in traditional lapidary techniques with his father Viktor.

He went on to become a pioneering artist using the techniques he learned at his father's side to produce remarkable designs that are anything but traditional. In true Idar-Oberstein style, his son Tom carries on the family trade and is known as one of the world's leading lapidary artists in his own right. Dimensions are given as; length x width x depth , except for round stones which are; diameter x depth. Select gems by size, not by weight! Gem varieties vary in density, so carat weight is not a good indication of size.

Sign In. Copy link. Map View. More info. Open In Google Maps. Give us feedback. Schloss, Oberstein Idar-Oberstein, , Germany. Natural Feature. Hiking Trail. Hauptstrasse, Idar-Oberstein, , Germany. Erbeskopf, Hilscheid, , Germany. Atmosphere: Family Friendly, Kid Friendly.

Idar-Oberstein is a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany and is in is at a narrows, between rocky cliffs and the banks of the Nahe. Since every square meter of land is at a premium here, the river has been covered over in the town. As a result, since , the Nahe flows underneath the town for several kilometers. The world famous Felsenkirche , the construction of which is traced to a story of fratricide, is built upon a vertical rock wall high above the old town.

It gives the town a unique atmosphere. The steep steps leading up to the Felsenkirche are climbed by countless visitors from all over the world every year. Their efforts are more than rewarded by a view of the impressive artwork.