{"id":40597,"date":"2026-07-24T15:44:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T13:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/hiking-in-the-harz-mountains-our-experiences-and-route-tips-from-locals\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T10:09:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T08:09:41","slug":"hiking-in-the-harz-mountains-our-experiences-and-route-tips-from-locals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/germany\/resin\/hiking-in-the-harz-mountains-our-experiences-and-route-tips-from-locals\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiking in the Harz Mountains: Our Experiences and Route Tips from Locals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hiking in the Harz Mountains: From the high moors to the summit of the Brocken<\/h1>\n\n

In early July, I went on a trip to the Harz Mountains<\/strong><\/a>\u2014my first visit to this forested region in central Germany. I drove from Goslar<\/a><\/strong> toward the Harz Mountains. We managed to squeeze in our first lovely hike along the way. <\/p>\n\n

Liebesbankweg: On the Way from Rammelsberg to Braunlage<\/h2>\n\n

After spending the morning at the Rammelsberg Mines in Goslar, I didn\u2019t drive straight to Braunlage, but took a detour via Clausthal-Zellerfeld (the B241) toward Hahnenklee. That\u2019s where the Liebesbankweg<\/a> is located\u2014a roughly seven-kilometer loop trail around the Bocksberg, featuring 25 love benches and art installations along the route. <\/p>\n\n

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\"Hiking<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The route takes you chronologically past benches with names such as \u201cfirst rendezvous\u201d all the way to the \u201cdiamond wedding,\u201d following in part the course of the Oberharzer Wasserwirtschaft, past a number of ponds and dams from that historic water management system. <\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s not a strenuous hike, but rather a collection of little stories along the way, with the occasional bench to sit down on for a moment. It\u2019s just right as a stopover on a day when you\u2019re already driving from one side of the Harz Mountains to the other. <\/p>\n\n

The trail opened in 2007 and was, at the time, the first Premium Hiking Trail<\/strong> in the entire Harz region and Lower Saxony to be certified by the Deutsches Wanderinstitut, so this isn\u2019t just any old local trail.<\/p>\n\n

Torfhausmoor: A First Look<\/h2>\n\n

Torfhaus is the starting point for most of my hikes, and the raised bog area near the village was my first stop. A boardwalk cuts right through the marsh, with the Brocken visible in the distance whenever the fog clears. Short, accessible, and immediately a lesson in how slowly and vulnerably raised bogs recover. You can read the story behind this landscape\u2014including what the biologist who guided us had to say about it\u2014in the separate article on Harz National Park<\/a><\/strong>. Here, I\u2019m mainly focused on the hike itself. <\/p>\n\n

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\"Torfhausmoor<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Torfhausmoor<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Harzturm: a little higher for the view<\/h2>\n\n

Near Torfhaus stands the Harzturm, an impressive observation tower that takes about ten minutes to climb (there\u2019s also an elevator) and offers a view of a large part of the national park on a clear day. The Skywalk is a bit nerve-wracking if you\u2019re afraid of heights, but it does offer some beautiful views. <\/p>\n\n

Personally, I found the building particularly interesting from an architectural standpoint. Two Austrian architects (Dietmar Kaden and Markus Lackner) designed the iconic wooden structure; it resembles a twisted, hollow tree trunk and is inspired by the shape of a spruce cone that has been pried open. At the top of the 65-meter-tall tower, you\u2019re at the highest point of the Harz Mountains: over 800 meters. For thrill seekers: you can ride down on a mat via the circular slide around the building (reaching speeds of up to about 25 km per hour). I found the skywalk to be quite a challenge as well, but it was spectacular. <\/p>\n\n

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It\u2019s not really a hike in itself, but it\u2019s a stop worth making if you\u2019re already in the area. The adjacent visitor center is also worth a visit. You\u2019ll have to pay for parking (the first hour is free with your Harzturm ticket) and for admission to the Harzturm (about \u20ac13.90 for adults). <\/p>\n\n

Lunch at the nearby Restaurant Wienerwald was delicious, and you can enjoy a cozy meal both indoors and outdoors right along the edge of the walking trail.<\/p>\n\n

Oderteich: A Walk Around Germany’s Oldest Reservoir<\/h2>\n\n

The Oderteich<\/strong><\/a>, located about seven kilometers northeast of Sankt Andreasberg, was constructed between 1715 and 1722 by miners from Sankt Andreasberg and was Germany\u2019s largest dam until the end of the nineteenth century. Together with the rest of the Oberharz Water Management System, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2010. <\/p>\n\n

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\"Oderteich<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Oderteich<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Oderteich<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

The loop around the lake is about four kilometers long, with only one trail, so you don\u2019t have to worry about getting lost. Dead spruce trees, young forest, boardwalks, and little bridges over babbling water alternate along the way. The water is brown in color due to the heathlands where the Oder River has its source (not because of pollution). A section of the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg runs along the eastern shore, so you\u2019ll sometimes share the trail with hikers who are on a much longer trek. <\/p>\n\n

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TIP: We walked the route counterclockwise from the starting point, and I thought this was the most scenic way because it takes you from the edge of the trail to a path that eventually becomes more wooded. There is plenty of (free) parking across the street from the starting point. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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