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Winterberg – legends
Legend The stag and the Elector
In 1558 Elector August was hunting in the Ottendorf heath. On the Kleiner Winterberg he pursued a mighty stag on foot onto a narrow rock above the abyss. The animal was trapped and wanted to get back – exactly where the Elector was standing. With the words “Either I hit you, or you will be the death of me”, he fired; the stag reared up and plunged backwards into the depths. In gratitude his son Christian had a memorial plaque bearing the year 1558 put up and a little hunting lodge built at the top with the antlers on its roof; today’s octagonal pavilion dates from 1818.
Legend The seven beeches
Seven magnificent beech trees once stood on the Großer Winterberg. The common folk said that as soon as these trees died, the House of Wettin would lose the crown and a foreign ruler would govern Saxony – some even believed that the Turks would then invade the land.
Matching hikes
- Malerweg, Etappe 5: Neumannmühle bis Schmilka
- Von Schmilka auf den Großen Winterberg
- Fremdenweg vom Kuhstall zum Großen Winterberg
As of: 09/2026
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