Schlafende Hexe

In the northeastern part of Lattengebirge, the striking Rotofen Towers rise above the forest, creating a rugged contrast to the otherwise gentle landscape of the mountain range. Together, the three rock towers form a silhouette that resembles a woman lying on her back — giving Rotofen its nickname, Schlafende Hexe, which means Sleeping Witch in German.

With its distinctive nose and breast, you can easily recognize the witch’s profile — whether viewed from Bischofswiesen in the southeast or from Bayerisch Gmain in the Reichenhall basin to the northwest.

With a little imagination, you can recognize the upper body and face of a woman lying on her back in the Rotofen Towers. The middle Rotofen forms the witch’s breast and is also known as Signalkopf. The front Rotofen, with its two towers, shapes the witch’s face: the smaller tower represents the chin, while the larger tower forms the nose.

In local folklore, the witch’s nose is also called the Montgelas Nose — a playful reference to the distinctive size and shape of the nose of Maximilian von Montgelas. On the Steinerne Agnes loop trail, you hike right between the witch’s breast and nose.