The Brocken, Harz National Park, Germany 7 Mar 2026

Imagine reaching the Brocken in Harz National Park, Germany, as clouds slide across the ridge. With the sun behind you, mist ahead—then a giant, haloed shadow forms. Ever wondered why climbers once feared this sight? The phenomenon, called the Brocken spectre, is an eerie natural optical effect that occurs when sunlight projects a person"s shadow onto cloud or fog. Rising about 1,141 metres, the Brocken is the highest peak in northern Germany and has long inspired folklore, including tales of witches gathering here during Walpurgis Night.

© imageBROKER/AVTG/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

An iridescent view
7 Mar 2024Roques de Benet, Els Ports Natural Park, Catalonia, Spain
7 Mar 2025Plum blossoms, China

More Desktop Wallpapers:

A braided river
Centuries of time in a Delicate Arch
21 Mar 2025Happy International Day of Forests!
The mystery of Stonehenge
Step back in time...
3 Sep 2025St Barbaras Cathedral, Kutná Hora, Czechia
Blue as far as the eye can see
We’ve identified these ‘flying objects’
10 Oct 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado, USA
Tune into International Jazz Day
30 May 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
13 Jul 2026International Rock Day
A world within a world
10 Jan 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee, Zermatt, Switzerland
Hello, is it tea you’re looking for?
11 Mar 2025Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Beauty comes in trees
11 Feb 2025Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China
Shell-ebrating sea turtles
On the open ocean road
7 May 2025Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Gravity-defying wonders of the world
3 Dec 2025Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA
16 Sep 2024Wallabies, Australia
6 Jun 2024The 80th anniversary of D-Day
16 Dec 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
8 Jul 2026Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Autumn on Windermere
Tomb of the Golden Pharaoh
27 Feb 2025International Polar Bear Day