shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileGermany

the high point of the Harz Mountains, in Saxony-Anhalt

Brocken

Name: Brocken — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — a summit the fog writes on most days of the year.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“The highest peak in the Harz, 1,141 metres of granite and weather above the forests of central Germany. The Brocken is a fog mountain, wrapped in cloud most days of the year, and the place Goethe set the witches' sabbath in Faust. A narrow-gauge steam line still climbs to the summit from Wernigerode. The top is a windy plateau with a long memory. — from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

Brocken, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Brocken

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

The Brocken rises to 1,141 metres in the Harz Mountains, the highest peak in northern Germany and the highest point of Saxony-Anhalt. It sits inside Harz National Park, a roughly 247-square-kilometre protected area of spruce forest, granite tors, and high moorland. The summit can be reached on foot from Schierke, Torfhaus, or Ilsenburg, and by the Brockenbahn narrow-gauge steam railway from Wernigerode and Drei Annen Hohne.

— informed by Wikipedia

— the air

The peak is famous for weather. The summit averages around 300 foggy days a year and sees regular winter snow and rime. The Brockengespenst, or Brocken spectre, is the magnified shadow a hiker casts on cloud below the summit, often ringed with a glory. The mountain stands close to the old inner-German border and was a restricted military zone until 1989; the summit reopened to the public in December of that year.

— informed by Harz National Park

— the year

Walpurgisnacht, the night of 30 April into 1 May, is the mountain's defining festival, drawn from old Harz folklore and made famous by Goethe's Faust, which sets the witches' sabbath on the Brocken summit. Villages around the Harz, including Schierke, Thale, and Bad Grund, mark the night with bonfires and costumed processions. Reservations on the Brockenbahn for that weekend are typically gone months in advance.

— informed by Harzer Schmalspurbahnen

— where

Germany · Harz district, Saxony-Anhalt

— within

Harz National Park

— elevation

1,141 m · 3,743 ft

— position

51.7991° N · 10.6171° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

15 km NE

Wernigerode

Harz town

6 km E

Schierke

trailhead village

7 km W

Torfhaus

trailhead

Brocken

Wernigerode

Schierke

Torfhaus

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Brocken — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

In the Harz Mountains of central Germany, inside Harz National Park in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is the highest peak in northern Germany.

1,141 metres above sea level, the highest point in the Harz range and the highest peak in Saxony-Anhalt.

On foot from Schierke, Torfhaus, or Ilsenburg, or by the Brockenbahn narrow-gauge steam railway running from Wernigerode and Drei Annen Hohne up to the summit station.

The magnified shadow a hiker casts on cloud below the summit, often surrounded by a circular rainbow called a glory. The Brocken is the peak the phenomenon was named for.

Old Harz folklore placed a witches' sabbath on the summit on Walpurgisnacht, the night of 30 April. Goethe carried the legend into Faust, fixing the association in German literature.

Yes. The summit sat close to the inner-German border and was used by the East German military and Stasi as a listening post. It reopened to the public in December 1989.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The Brocken is the peak every Harz walker eventually climbs, by foot or by the steam train. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note travels well.

The granite greys, spruce greens, and fog-blues sit well in Alpine-modern, Scandi-warm, and Mountain-modern interiors. Reads well against pine panelling or whitewashed plaster.

A single Large reads well above a console; over a sofa we recommend the 4-tile Mural. The 9-tile Mural suits a wide stairwell or a double-height entry.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for backsplashes, shower surrounds, and other humid vertical installations.

A microfibre cloth with water is enough. No solvents and no abrasive pads. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and will not lift.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license artwork in or out.

— if this one stayed with you