Rock towers
Weathered sandstone.
Alice Wiegand — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Derzno — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alice Wiegand — CC BY-SA 4.0 · User:Matthias Süßen — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Derzno — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Teufelsmauer, or Devil's Wall, is a rock formation of hard sandstone in the northern Harz foreland of central Germany, running for about 20 km from Ballenstedt to Blankenburg. Its best-known section lies near the village of Weddersleben, about 3 km northeast of Thale in a straight line. The rocks are Cretaceous sandstone, tilted upright as the Harz rose, after which the softer layers around them wore away and the hardest remained. Many folk tales grew up to explain its strangeness. It was protected in the 19th century to stop quarrying and became a nature reserve in 1935, one of the oldest in Germany. Goethe visited in 1784, and in September 2026 it was chosen as Germany's Natural Wonder of 2026. Weathered grey and yellow rocks rise in strange shapes, towers and walls pierced with holes, on open hills covered in dry grass. From the top there are views over fields and villages, with the Harz mountains on the horizon. Visitors walk the Teufelsmauer trail between the rocks, a ridge path with steps and railings in places. The site is open with no shade, so bring water and a hat in summer, and keep to the paths to protect the rare plants.
Weathered sandstone.
Between the rocks.
On the horizon.
Weddersleben, Thale, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
No, so bring water and a hat.
From Weddersleben.