The Sleeping Emperor of Untersberg

High above the city of Salzburg stands the mighty Untersberg mountain. For centuries, the people of the region have told the story of what lies deep inside its caves.

Long ago, after many great battles, Emperor Charlemagne (Karl der Große) and his knights grew tired of war. They rode their horses into a hidden cave in the Untersberg and fell into a magical sleep. There they still rest today — fully armed, with their horses saddled, waiting for the day when Austria needs them most.

According to the legend, every hundred years a shepherd or a hunter accidentally finds the entrance to the secret cave. Inside, he sees the Emperor sitting on a marble throne, his long white beard grown so long that it has wrapped itself around the stone table in front of him. The Emperor wakes slightly and asks in a deep voice:

“Are the ravens still flying around the mountain?”

If the person answers “Yes”, the Emperor sighs, closes his eyes, and says:

“Then it is not yet time. We must sleep for another hundred years.”

But one day, when the ravens no longer circle the Untersberg, Charlemagne and his knights will awaken. They will ride out of the mountain, and a great new golden age will begin for Austria.

Even today, many locals in Salzburg and Berchtesgaden still look up at the Untersberg when dark clouds gather and say with respect:

“The Emperor is turning in his sleep.”