The sleeping emperor in the Kyffhäuser Monument

Deep down in the mountain, enchanted in an underground castle, he is said to have been sleeping for so long that his glowing red beard has already grown through the table. Every hundred years, he checks to see if the ravens - a sign of evil - are still flying around the mountain. If they have not disappeared, he must rest enchanted for another hundred years: Emperor Barbarossa.

Frederick I is a myth and, as a symbol of a united empire, inspired poets and writers to create the legend of the eternally sleeping ruler. The legend of the Kyffhäuser was popularised at the beginning of the 19th century by none other than the Brothers Grimm with their story ‘Friedrich Rotbart on the Kyffhäuser’ and Friedrich Rückert with his Barbarossa poem. Even if there may be disagreement today as to whether the beard grew once or twice around the table, the stories still retain their mystique and remind some people to cut their hair.

On the trail of Barbarossa

Detail of the Kyffhäuser Monument - Emperor Barbarossa, ©Christian Schelauske

The legend of Emperor Barbarossa is visible and chiselled in stone on the 120-year-old Kyffhäuser monument. It towers high above the legendary Kyffhäuser Mountains. He seems to be just awakening on his stately throne - the medieval emperor, immortalised in red sandstone. Kaiser Wilhelm I rides proudly above him, often referred to as the ‘White Beard on the Red Beard Throne’.

But let's turn our backs on these gentlemen and allow them to rest in peace. Once you have climbed the 250 steps of the 80 metre high monument tower, you will be rewarded with a fantastic view over the Kyffhäuser Nature Park. The forest surrounds us like in the times of the robber barons, and in the distance we look out over the Goldene Aue. The imposing Kyffhausen Castle with the deepest castle well in the world stood here in the Middle Ages. Fortunately, we can still peer into the well shaft today. A virtual tour of the well is also possible. We discover many a treasure that has ended up in the well shaft over the centuries. It's too tempting to watch something shiny fall down the well yourself.

An underground palace

Crystal clear, shimmering blue-green lake with a fascinating reflection, Barbarossa Cave Kyffhäuser, ©Anke Schreyer, Barbarossahöhle Kyffhäuser

But where is the legendary underground castle of Emperor Red Beard hidden? When miners accidentally discovered natural cavities while searching for copper slate in 1865, they probably thought they had found it. The name Barbarossa Cave was quickly found. It is a mysterious world with bizarre rock formations and crystal-clear, shimmering blue-green lakes - and a geological rarity! There are only two show caves in the world in so-called anhydrite rock. A special experience, even without studying geology, are the annual worlds of light, which immerse the Barbarossa Cave in a spectacular sea of colour. 

Header picture: ©Martin Ludwig