Königsruhe (also ''Gut Königsruhe'' i.e. Königsruhe Estate) is a small settlement in the

Bode Gorge The Bode Gorge () is a long ravine that forms part of the Bode (river), 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 ...

in the

Harz Mountains The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a Mittelgebirge, 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 nam ...

of Germany, south of the town of

Thale Thale () is a town in the Harz (district), 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 ...

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...

Location

Königsruhe lies in the ''Hirschgrund'' ("Stag Bottom") immediately next to the

River Bode The Bode () is a river in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, a left tributary of the Saale. It rises in the Harz mountains and drains them in a northerly direction. After it discharges into the Saale at Nienburg. The river is named after a leg ...

, a mountain river that has cut deeply into the surrounding mountains at this point. The footpath along the gorge from Thale to

Treseburg Treseburg is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Thale. Geography Treseburg lies at the confluence of the Luppbode stream with the River Bode in ...

runs through the settlement which lies in the borough of Thale. As far as Königsruhe, the track can be used by motor vehicles from the direction of Thale when required, but is normally closed to traffic. A narrow, stone bridge, the Jungfern Bridge (''Jungfernbrücke''), crosses the Bode in Königsruhe.

History

In 1834 a shopkeeper, Christian Jung from Thale, built a wooden hut with a fireplace in the ''Hirschgrund'' in the Bode Gorge. In 1856 another larger building followed, which was sited next to the bridge over the Bode. Initially it was called Hirschgrund. To commemorate the

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

n king,

Frederick William IV Frederick William IV (; 15 October 1795 – 2 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, was King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 until his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to as the " romanticist on the t ...

, who stayed here on 5 May 1834, the extended inn was called ''Hotel Königsruhe'' ("King's Rest") in 1875. The name Königsruhe remained until the period of the

German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

when, for political reasons, the place was renamed ''Hirschgrund''. In August 1994 the ''Bauer'' family bought the property and, since 1995, it has once again been given the name "Königsruhe".

Economy

Tourism dominates the economy. A restaurant with a beer garden (''Hirschgrund 1'') is used by numerous hikers walking the nationally known trails across the Harz region. In addition there is guest accommodation. In Königsruhe there is a mountain rescue station owned by the Harz mountain rescue organisation which looks after the path to Thale and also has its own rescue vehicle.

Places of interest

In addition to the impressive nature of the Bode Gorge, local attractions include the Seven Brothers' Rocks (''Siebenbrüderfelsen'') at the exit of the settlement towards Thale and the Jungfern Bridge (''Jungfernbrücke'') newly erected at the beginning of the 20th century over the Bode. On the footpath to Thale is a memorial plaque to the mountain rescuer, Gustav Kowalewski.

External links

Internet presence for the inn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Konigsruhe Harz Thale