In the northern Harz foreland between Ballenstedt in the east and Blankenburg in the west, steep, sometimes meter-high sandstone cliffs form an imposing natural phenomenon over a length of approx. 20 km, which is known as the Teufelsmauer. The rugged, erosion-resistant cliffs are formed by layers of silicified sandstone, the formation of which is associated with the uplift of the Harz Mountains and their overthrust to the northern foreland during the Upper Cretaceous. The Königstein, Mittelstein and Papenstein sections south and south-west of Weddersleben have been under nature protection since 1935. In 2006, the Teufelsmauer was awarded national geotope status and is now an important geopoint in the UNESCO Geopark Harz – Braunschweiger Land – Ostfalen.