"Burning Mountain”

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The "Burning Mountain" is the unusual natural phenomenon that can be seen in Dudweiler - a residential area of Saarbrücken. In fact it is not a mountain, but a small stone canyon, surrounded by beech forest. Inside it there is a smoldering coal seam, which has been burning for more than 300 years - since the XVII century. It is still unclear what caused the underground fire. A popular legend blames shepherds, who lit a fire inside the old stump on a cold night, which is why the fire got through the roots to the coal seam lying close to the surface.

It is said that locals liked to barbecue in the “Burning Mountain” during picnics: a real flame made its way through the cracks in the stone. But by the end of the XVIII century, the fire began to weaken. Now you can see, at best, a weak smoke and feel for the warm air flow over one of the cracks in favourable weather. But the place is still very beautiful, and it's definitely worth a visit. A memorial plaque is installed at the site with the words of Goethe printed on it. The writer visited the “Burning Mountain” in 1770 and later described his impressions in his autobiography "Poetry and Truth".

"Burning Mountain”

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