The ''Hexentanzplatz'' (literally “Witches′ Dance Floor”) in the

Harz mountains The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

is a plateau () that lies high above the

Bode Gorge The Bode Gorge (german: Bodetal) is a long ravine that forms part of the Bode valley between Treseburg and Thale in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The German term, ''Bodetal'' (literally "Bode Valley"), is also used in a wider sense to r ...

, opposite the Rosstrappe in

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it th ...

, Germany.

History

The Hexentanzplatz is reputedly an Old Saxon cult site, at which pagan celebrations were held in honour of the so-called Hagedisen (forest and mountain goddesses), particularly on the night of 1 May. The place did not become known as the ''Hexentanzplatz'' until the cult was banned by the invading Christian

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

. According to tradition the site was guarded by Frankish soldiers in order to enforce the ban and they were chased off by

Saxons The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

dressed as

witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

es and riding on

broomstick A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...

s. Another old Saxon cult site is found on the

Brocken The Brocken, also sometimes referred to as the Blocksberg, is the highest peak in the Harz mountain range and also the highest peak in Northern Germany; it is near Schierke in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt between the rivers Weser and El ...

. Above the Hexentanzplatz are the remains of the (“Saxon Dyke”), a wall of granite rocks and possibly part of a larger fortification, more than 1,500 years old.

Tourism

Since the middle of the 19th century there has been a mountain hotel of the same name on the Hexentanzplatz. On the plateau is the Thale Mountain Theatre ( Bergtheater Thale) one of the oldest open-air theatres in Germany with 1,350 seats, which was founded in 1903 by Ernst Wachler. In the Walpurgishalle Museum, built by painter Hermann Hendrich, the legends of the surrounding

and scenes from

Goethe's Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tre ...

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroa ...

'' are brought to life. A sacrifice stone () is also exhibited there, which recalls ancient fertility rites. A

gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate sup ...

runs from

Thale Thale () is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. Located at the steep northeastern rim of the Harz mountain range, it is known for the scenic Bode Gorge stretching above the town centre. Geography The town is situated ...

up to the Hexentanzplatz. Today, the Hexentanzplatz resembles a small theme park aimed at families, including a car park (charge: 5 euros), gondola lift and mini-coaster rides, small gift and craft shops and a zoo. While there are relatively unspoiled forests nearby with plenty of hiking trails, the immediate area of the Hexentanzplatz has been fairly well commercialized. The Hexentanzplatz Wildlife Park illustrates the variety of the many different species of animal in the Harz region. There is also a

Sommerrodelbahn A summer toboggan is an amusement or recreational ride which uses a bobsled-like sled or cart to run down a track usually built on the side of a hill. There are two main types: an Alpine coaster or mountain coaster is a type of roller coaster ...

, the ''Harzbob''; and the Homburg Watchtower lookout tower below the mountain theatre. There is a checkpoint (no. 167) in the

Harzer Wandernadel The Harzer Wandernadel is a system of hiking awards in the Harz mountains in central Germany. The hiker (or mountain biker) can earn awards at different levels of challenge by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and stamping his or ...

hiking network at the viewing point of Ellricher Blick. File:Hexentanzplatz - Teufel.jpg, The Devil File:Hexentanzplatz - Hexe.jpg, The Witch File:Hexentanzplatz - Des Teufels Gehilfe.jpg, The assistant of the devil

Sources

* Falko Kirsch: ''Führer durch das Bodetal. Geschichte, Geologie, Sagen, Flora, Fauna.'' Thale * Ute Fuhrmann und Rainer Vogt: ''Die Steine am Hexentanzplatz'' Stekovics Verlag 2007,

External links

Hexentanzplatz
{{Coord, 51, 44, 03, N, 11, 01, 43, E, type:landmark_region:DE-ST, display=title Harz Thale