True Blue: The mystic blue eye of Germany

The blue eye of Germany: How an enchanted lake returned after seven lost years from his dry grave...

It is a miracle after seven years: In the middle of the German Harz Mountains there is a magical little lake that has fascinated people with its bright turquoise water for 100 years. At the small Harz town of Hüttenrode, an industrial site was transformed into the shimmering azure waters. But finally the blue eye disappeared - day trippers and tourists stood helpless in front of a gaping hole in the rock.

There was nothing left of what was once the “blue eye of the Harz”, a 30 by 60 meter long pond filled with brilliant turquoise water. Only Google Maps still showed the blue water. The lake was dry. A desolate limestone tub through which visitors wandered in shock.

Of course - the lake wasn't always blue in the past. But even in the green phases, which begin when too many people ignored the actual bathing ban, the crystal clear water turned over and algae recolored the turquoise South Sea puddle, the body of water, classified as a geotope by the State Office for Geology and Mining, remained an eye-catcher.

Crowds of excursionists traveled along the circular route on weekends, there were regular guided tours and hiking apps recommended the Blue Lake as a “unique natural backdrop” that simply had to be seen.

But wait: Nothing here is pure nature. Like the rugged canyons that gape in the rock walls around the Blue Lake, the rock basin, which is up to 15 meters deep, is not the result of geological processes, but rather a consequence of human activity. The Blue Lake is actually an opencast mining hole that owes its existence to the former Garkenholz quarry.

Limestone mining began here in 1885 to produce quicklime. The Elbingeröder Reef, created 387 million years ago when a very pure layer of limestone formed from corals and algae in an ancient sea several hundred meters deep, was considered a real gold mine at the time.

A railway line was built, which at that time ran along the exact dam that is now used as a hiking trail to the lake. Operational buildings and rail lines for transport trucks are being built. Little by little the stonemasons ate their way into the terrain. The limestone was crushed in large crushing plants and transported towards Blankenburg or Rübeland.

Like the dry lake, the steep and towering rock faces are also witnesses of that time. What looks like a natural idyll today is a lost place that has been reclaimed with trees, bushes and dry grass since it was closed down in 1946.

Not only the traces of mining have disappeared, but also all memories of the most terrible events that the rocks had to witness. The Nazis murdered hundreds of Russian prisoners of war in a camp. After the end of the war, the Russians set up a prison camp in the isolated area. The paramilitary GDR combat groups later took over the area. The now protected biotope becomes a shooting range.

This has never harmed the popularity of the Blue Eye. From the beginning of the 80s, the area developed into an insider tip for young black campers fleeing the state-mandated socialist holiday camps. In the summer, the Blue Lagoon attracts hundreds of teenage hippies who camp wild, drink lake water and play guitar around campfires.

Anyone who experienced the lake back then is even more horrified today. The pond has never been as empty as it has been in recent years, even in midsummer, remembers one of the illegal permanent guests. Karst springs reliably replenished what evaporated and seeped down through cracks in the limestone.

“Something is different,” says the man who has known the lake for 40 years and visits it again and again. Would there ever be water there again? Blue at all? The doubts prevailed so much that fans of the pond began to plan further rescue measures. The nearby Peersbach should be diverted to the lake. Fire hoses were already there, a permanent pipeline was to come next.

An idea, say residents, that would have been difficult to implement because of the necessary permits. In addition, it is the lime-saturated water that only reflects the blue portion of sunlight. Other tributaries could perhaps imitate a kind of pond. But it certainly wouldn't have been blue. Fans of the lake have taken advantage of the situation to collect scrap, shoes, bottles and trash from the lake bottom. And lo and behold: suddenly the water was back.

For several weeks now, the body of water has been attracting visitors with its Caribbean-blue, clear water as if it had just been created. Every weekend there is a massive migration of admirers that completely overwhelms the non-existent infrastructure. The Blue Lake has never been as famous as it is today.

But the rush has hit the tourist hinterland hard. Where just twelve months ago there was only a murky pool of rainwater and locals were already mourning another victim of climate change, this is a cool gem. “Maybe it was just the three dry years that bothered him”, hopes one visitor.

The enthusiasm is all the greater that the lake, which was considered an insider tip for illegal camping adventures during the GDR era, has been filled to overflowing again for a few weeks now and is shining in all shades of blue. On social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest, the supposed natural spectacle attracts attention. Thousands of people take photos, film and share their images. Tens of thousands of people at home, in front of their computers and cell phones, are fascinated by the sparkling blue wonder in the industrial wasteland, which was declared a nature reserve after the end of the GDR. “This will be our next trip,” is what we keep saying in the Harz fan groups on Facebook.

There are so many on the way that some people don't even get to their destination. On the weekends, the parking lot right by the lake is always full, says Andreas Pawel, former mayor of Hüttenrode. Out of necessity, dozens of cars are lined up wildly along the street. Others roll the two and a half kilometers further to Neuwerk, a small town that is actually away from the main tourist flows. From there we walk back to the “Blue Wonder”, which, according to the documents of a man from the neighboring village, keeps accurate records and is completely filled for the first time in seven years.

Now it's time to be quick, because once summer arrives, the color of the water quickly turns green due to the algae that form. Also beautiful. But the Blue Lake is really just really blue.

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