Bewitching Tales and Brocken Spectres: A Winter Walk through the Harz Mountains, Germany

Inspired by the wintery night walks I mentioned before, I thought I might share an adult version of such and take you to the Harz mountain range in Northern Germany today, a range that is known for its natural beauty, its unique geology, and one or the other mythical story.

I know I know, me and my legends, so predictable! But hey, if you’re honest with yourself, you know you love them just as much as I do. Am I right, or am I right? That being said, let’s get my favourite one out of the way first, the one that left quite an impression on little me as well as a 403-metre-high granite crag that is nowadays referred to as the ‘Rosstrappe’.

Presumptuous giant meets rambunctious princess

Rumour has it there once was a giant called Bodo who had a thing for the king’s daughter Brunhilde. Smitten by her beauty, he was keen to marry the princess, a wish that was not reciprocated. Bodo, being your typical stubborn giant, was having none of it and started chasing Brunhilde who managed to escape on her white ‘stallion’ (‘Ross’ in German). Up and down they went, over hills, into valleys, crossing rivers, venturing through forests, the giant only one breath away, until they were suddenly confronted with a deep ravine, an abyss that would bring the chase to an end.

With the obstacle in sight, the princess tightened her grip whilst spurring on her faithful companion. Faster and faster they went, the giant being on their heels and hooves, grounds shaking as they were approaching the edge. One final step and the stallion leapt into mid-air, his mane and tail floating in the wind. The giant took off only seconds after whilst reaching out for those silvery strands. They were teasing his fingertips, giving him a little taste of victory, just before gravity took control and pulled him down into his grave.

Watching his demise from above, the princess and her stallion made it to the rocky outcrop on the other side. Due to the impact of their landing, one of the horse’s hooves left a deep mark on the crag bearing evidence of their successful crossing and to this day, attracting visitors from near and far, my family being among those throughout the years.

If, for whatever reason, you’re not sold on such ‘clip-clopping’ tale (‘trappen’ in German), it might be worth noting that scientists tend to believe it’s more likely that tourists are looking at the weathered remains of a German altar basin, a somewhat less exciting explanation given such epic chase, but perhaps one to consider when checking out the other side of the ‘Bode Gorge’ (‘Bodetal’), named after you know who.

Slightly higher at 454 metres, you have the opportunity to look down into the deathly ravine from another angle whilst standing on another special plateau, one that once served as an old Saxon cult site and still attracts rather interesting creatures on an annual basis, a different kind of visitor you may say.

Of witches, spectres, and abominable snowmen?

According to German folklore, on ‘Walpurgisnacht’ (‘Walpurgis Night’), the night of 30 April, the mentioned plateau turns into a dance floor, a ‘Witches Dance Floor’ to be precise (‘Hexentanzplatz’), where once a year all witches gather to celebrate the arrival of spring as well as a very special union, one that gets forged on the highest peak of the Harz mountain range, the Brocken, the place today’s virtual stroll shall take you to if keen to venture to higher grounds.

Standing at 1,141m tall (3,743 ft), the Brocken might be below alpine dimensions, but its microclimate comes close to that of mountains twice its size. Sporting a snow-covered peak from September to May and misty views for up to 300 days of the year, it offers perfect conditions for the Brocken Spectre* (‘Brockengespenst’) to make an appearance, a (super?) natural phenomenon first reported on, and therefore named after, this infamous German mountain.

*I was not lucky enough to capture one yet, so here a link to the Met Office version saving you some of the fact-checking you might be tempted to do once finished with this spectral read.

The ‘spectre’ tends to appear when the sun shines from behind the observer looking down the peak casting a magnified shadow, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, onto a bank of cloud or mist, seemingly moving as the clouds drift by, an eerie optical effect adding to the ghostly atmosphere that draws in those enchanting (or rather bewitching) creatures mentioned above, those Brocken witches that gather once a year to dance the night away, their stomping feet and swaying bodies melting the snow and intriguing the lord of the underworld himself. Said to join in, he chooses the fairest of them all, as fair as witches go, and marries her on the plateau, right across from the less successful romantic pursuit we started with.

One tail tale chasing another, it’s no surprise writers such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the author of Faust, a play about a man who sells his soul to the devil (aka Mephisto), frequented those grounds in the past as well, whilst looking for inspiration or an enchanting adventure of his own perhaps. Either way, his wandering visit and literary reference led to a path being named after him, the ‘Goetheweg’ (‘Goethe Way’), which I’d like to check out with you now if you dare? Giants, witches, the devil himself, who knows what else might come our way?! Let’s bundle up and have a look, shall we?

PS: Here a direct link to the website where you can download the walking map featured in the video if you find yourself in Brocken territory sometime in the future. 🥾❄️🧙‍♀️

PPS: And here another link for those avid hikers who might be looking for more info on the ‘Harzer Wandernadel’ (‘Harz Walking Badge’) I briefly mentioned as well. Happy stamping!!

When was I there? 30 November 2021