The Beauty of Snow (8)

The Beauty of Snow (8)

This is the 8th. shot of a series illustrating the beauty of snow in forests and swamps.

This huge stone (500 million years old) is known as “Emperor Charles’ Bedstead”.

According to a legend the mighty Emperor Charles the Great (742 – 814) was once compelled to spend the night on this big quartzite rock during one of his hunting trips.

He, the passionate hunter, and his entourage got hopeless lost one day in this swampy area. So, until the night fell, they wandered around through the forest, far away from the royal court at Aachen (Germany).
One of his men then discovered this impressive rock and it was decided to establish the night-quarters here. The Emperor took the flat rock as his bed and one of his servants stood guard on the small rock beside it.
Because Charles the Great was built like a giant, one can still see today the dents in the rock where his head and feet are said to have laid (on condition the rock is not snow covered of course…….)

Location : Oberweserwald at Nahtsief, Hohes Venn (Belgium)