Well, that's really difficult to explain.
I'll write it as my thoughts flow.
- There is a small wall around the area. I cannot say whether this small wall (as high as a bench, approx.) belonged to the castle or not. The caste is removed and seemingly nothing reminds of it anymore.
- There are stairs inside. You won't believe how high it is until you stand on the top ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> In mycase (been there last year) everything looked so small ... standing on the top was impressive ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />
- There are caverns inside which are said to have been made by or for monks or so. Don't know much more about it either.
- There is a carving of a scene of the torture of Jesus on one side. I think it was shown on one of the pictures. It was seemingly made 1150 or so. Very old.
- The place is in the esoterical area known to be a place of power, of ... force ? ... what's the right word ? I wish Kiya could help me out, she knows these things better than I do. Sensitive people might feel it.
- There is a certain day called "Walpurgisnacht" (actually it's a night <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> ) , where a lot of esoterical folks gathers there. As far as I remember it's connected to the midsummer night, but I might be wrong. Don't remember anymore.
The people are making fires then - the Externsteine are within a wood ! - and using drums ! Yes, no joke. Drumming through the night.
- Well this esoterical things are what also attracted the Nazis. I don't know how far original Nazis were involved, but they liked everything that was "Germanic", also old Germanic Gods (from the northern mythology, for example). In fact, some of them wanted to get rid of the christian Christmas Time, and instead install a different, "Germanic" thing from northern mythology (as far as I know).
So, as the Externsteine might have been a sacred place for ... our ancestors ? ... the Nazis wanted to re-build this place in their crappy point of view. This "Germanic thing" is what the Neo-Nazios like about it.
- Keep in mind, that the things you've seen in the Indiana Jones movies have a serious background : Nazis really searched for many things that were a) somehow "Germanic", and b) were known from an esoterical point of view - to say rather objectively, sacred placers have always been places with a strange or poweful feeling - in *any* religion. It just happened that the Nazis wanted to re-establish many of these places again, which have been used by the Celts, for example (the Celts were widespread in middle-europe ! )
- We have many remains of celtic villages or even towns, and the celts for example used special places for their religion. The Nazis didn't divide between celts, "Germanics" and anything else. Their belief - system - as far as there existed one - was a *very* crappy and dangerous mixture between different belief-systems and religions. As an example, the Nazis wanted their folks to be "pure germanic", which meant they wanted it to be "Aric " - "Arisch". But what they didn't know was that this word / term *actuaölly* described semitic cultures - the ancestors of those who now live in Israel and the areas around it. Another example is that the "cross" they used is an*really* ancient symbol - it existed *thousands* of years before the Nazis came !
- That's one of the problems we here in Germany have to deal with our history - the Nazis. It's not the main problem, but one of many.
- So, the Externsteine are actually impressive - as an geological and spiritual phenomenon. But we also cannot deny that the stones attract a *lot* of people with weird points of view. That's just like society goes.
If anyone is able to correct and clarify me - I'm always grateful.
EDIT : I've read that thze lake is artificial, not naturally there. The landscape around the stones is really beautiful - lots of woods to wander around ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
Drink Up Ye Cider. 
