Sunset at the Roßtrappe
The Roßtrappe is a 403 m granite crag in the Harz mountains of Northern Germany. It rises high over the Bode Gorge and may be reached from Thale by road, on foot, or on a chair lift. There‘s a mountain hotel with an observation terrace as well as the upper station for the chair lift. Nearby is the Winzenburg, a refuge castle, which has been used since the New Stone Age as a refuge for up to 100 people. There’s a view of the Hexentanzplatz (“Witches Dance Floor"), the Steinerne Kirche ("Stone Church"), the Harz Foreland, the town of Thale and the highest peak in the Harz, the Brocken.
According to legend, a giant by the name of Bodo once followed the king’s beautiful daughter, Brunhilde, whom he wanted to marry against her will. She escaped on a white stallion (German: Ross), but was suddenly confronted by a deep ravine. Her horse leapt in one bound to the rocks on the other side, but her pursuer fell into the depths below. The impression of the horse’s hoof may still be seen today. The giant gave his name to the small river, the Bode. Scientists suspect that the imprint in the rock is the weathered remains of an old Germanic altar basin.
From the Roßtrappe, visitors can climb down into the Bode Gorge on the Schurre, a path laid in zigzags. The Präsidentenweg of 4 km is the recommended path to climb from the gorge to the rock outcrop. The Roßtrappe is #71 in the system of check points on the Harzer Wandernadel walking trail network. Since the middle of the 19th century there has been a mountain hotel with the same name at its entrance.
