Abstract Cretaceous sandstones occur mainly in the north and NE of Germany. Some of them have been quarried for more than a thousand years and they have been transported to other regions, even abroad, from as early as medieval times. These are the Elbe Sandstones in Saxony, the Wealden Sandstones and the Bentheimer Sandstone in Lower Saxony and the Baumberger Sandstone in North Rhein-Westfalia. All of these are still quarried, and all can be used as building stone as well as for sculptures. They are introduced with their special features and their use over the centuries.