Germany's Devil's Table: the 14-metre sandstone rock that inspires legends and lures visitors to the Palatinate Forest
A 14-metre high sandstone block balancing on a narrow base in the Palatinate Forest draws crowds and spurs tales of a hungry devil who once lunched there.
A geological marvel
The rock formation in southern Rheinland-Pfalz, known as the Teufelstisch (Devil's Table), rises 14 metres above the wooded hills near Hinterweidenthal. A massive slab of Bunter sandstone sits on a much thinner pedestal, creating the silhouette of a giant table. Geologists attribute the shape to millions of years of wind and water erosion that wore away softer rock while the harder capstone remained. Despite its delicate appearance, the structure has stood for generations, attracting visitors from across Germany.
The legend of a lunch break
Local folklore offers a more vivid explanation. One version, retold with a wink by crime novelist Uwe Ittensohn, says the devil roamed the area hungry and, finding no suitable spot, stacked two rocks to form a table, ate, and vanished. A later mocking townsman who announced he would dine with the devil was heard screaming in the night.
The man was never seen again.
Pfälzer humour and local pride
Mundart comedian Chako Habekost notes that the name could have been more clinical ("Sandsteinplateau" or "Felsdach"), but the Palatinate tendency to exaggerate demanded something grand and drastic. Even the devil was not enough; he had to be a giant. Habekost jokes about the connection to the region's football fortunes, referencing the "Red Devils" of 1. FC Kaiserslautern and a Rolling Stones lyric.
Some religiously delicate souls might remark, with a Rolling Stones quote, that the people of the Palatinate perhaps have too much sympathy for the devil and that is why their once glorious football with its Red Devils has been bobbing along in the second division for so long.
A tranquil experience
Despite the infernal name, the site is surprisingly serene. Visitors who walk the forest path hear birdsong, smell the pines, and enjoy cool temperatures even on hot summer days. Late afternoon light turns the sandstone red and lengthens shadows, lending the rock an even more mysterious air that feeds its enduring hold on the imagination.
