Zeterklippen
Encyclopedia
The Zeterklippen are a striking rock formation
or tor on the 930 metre high Renneckenberg
mountain, overlooking the Ilse
valley in the Harz mountains in Germany. The Renneckenberg is an eastern sub-peak of the Brocken. The rocks themselves lie at a height of about 830 metres (2,723.1 ft) above sea level. They can be reached from Molkenhausstern after about 2.5 km. The track initially runs uphill through dense spruce
forest until the view opens out towards the Hohnekamm and down to Wernigerode
. Then the route branches off to the right onto a steep, 0.5 km, path and, after about 200 m, a gentler 0.4 km path leads to the Große Zeterklippe ("Great Zeter Rock"). Immediately below this highest of the rocks is a mountain hut that dates to the time when a botanical garden
had been laid out here as a replacement for the inaccessible Brockengarten
.
The Große Zeterklippe can be climbed using iron ladders. The climb is rewarded with a wonderful view of the Brocken, the town of Wernigerode below and the North Harz Foreland.
word zêter which is a call for legal or military assistance.
In 1407 the name first appeared as de Zetterberg, in 1592 as am Zetterklebe and in 1640 as Setterklee.
The Große Zeterklippe ist checkpoint no. 10 in the Harz Walking Network (Harzer Wandernadel
).
Rock formation
This is a list of rock formations that include isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrops. These formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock...
or tor on the 930 metre high Renneckenberg
Renneckenberg
The Renneckenberg is a high mountain in the Harz mountain range of central Germany within the borough of Wernigerode. It runs as a ridge from the Zeterklippen crags in the northwest to the Kapellenklippe in the southeast and lies close to the road from Schierke to the Brocken, the highest mountain...
mountain, overlooking the Ilse
Ilse (river)
The Ilse is a river that rises at about 900 m above sea level on the northern slopes of the Brocken. During its first few kilometres it flows as a narrow brook, almost invisible to the observer, down the side of the Brocken...
valley in the Harz mountains in Germany. The Renneckenberg is an eastern sub-peak of the Brocken. The rocks themselves lie at a height of about 830 metres (2,723.1 ft) above sea level. They can be reached from Molkenhausstern after about 2.5 km. The track initially runs uphill through dense spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
forest until the view opens out towards the Hohnekamm and down to Wernigerode
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
. Then the route branches off to the right onto a steep, 0.5 km, path and, after about 200 m, a gentler 0.4 km path leads to the Große Zeterklippe ("Great Zeter Rock"). Immediately below this highest of the rocks is a mountain hut that dates to the time when a botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
had been laid out here as a replacement for the inaccessible Brockengarten
Brockengarten
The Brocken Garden is an alpine botanical garden on the summit of the Brocken , the highest peak in the Harz mountains of Germany. It lies within the Harz National Park near Wernigerode in the state of Saxony-Anhalt and has a stock of around 1,600 types of plant...
.
The Große Zeterklippe can be climbed using iron ladders. The climb is rewarded with a wonderful view of the Brocken, the town of Wernigerode below and the North Harz Foreland.
History
The origin of the name Zeterklippen is not entirely clear. It is not derived from Zeter or Zintar or Brunnen des Ziu ("Thor's Spring"). Also unlikely is the connexion with the Upper GermanUpper German
Upper German is a family of High German dialects spoken primarily in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Northern Italy.-Family tree:Upper German can be generally classified as Alemannic or Austro-Bavarian...
word zêter which is a call for legal or military assistance.
In 1407 the name first appeared as de Zetterberg, in 1592 as am Zetterklebe and in 1640 as Setterklee.
The Große Zeterklippe ist checkpoint no. 10 in the Harz Walking Network (Harzer Wandernadel
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
).