BRAUTBETT – THE BRIDE’S BED
Location and Access
Brautbett lies along the Upper Mariánská Road at an altitude of approximately 850 metres on the south-eastern slope of Vlčí hřbet. It consists of a prominent granite outcrop with a separate tower-like formation divided from the main mass by a noticeable saddle. The summit coordinates are 50.349861° N and 12.8955° E.
The road begins in Mariánská behind the present-day Boubelka lodge (Školská 57, Jáchymov) and leads around Vlčí hřbet to the road above the residential home for people with disabilities. Along the route is Rescue Point KV 060. The beginning and end of the path coincide with a red-marked hiking trail that crosses directly over Vlčí hřbet; from that trail the Bride’s Bed is not directly accessible.
Geological Character
The formation consists of typical rounded granite shapes created by long-term weathering. These smooth, cushion-like forms inspired both the name and the legend.
The Legend of the Bride’s Bed
The legend was recorded by Hans Nürnberg in his collected tales. In the Ore Mountains it was customary for a bride to transport her dowry from her family home on a heavily loaded wagon, with quilts and pillows forming a high mound above the rest of the load. Unmarried girls would visit this rock and dream of their own wedding day.
A similar legend is told in Brela in central Dalmatia, Croatia. There, a boy and a girl were said to have been turned to stone together with their wedding carriage and horse. The rock known as Nevistina stina remains a viewpoint along what was once the only route connecting the coastal region with Zabiokoví.
Brautbett thus represents a meeting point of natural formation and human imagination.
Photo gallery: https://mipalfi.rajce.idnes.cz/Jachymov%2C_Brautbett_-_Nevestina_skala/
