Hiking in the Harz Mountains: The most beautiful routes and insider tips
You're guaranteed to find peace and quiet on a hike in the Harz Mountains. But the 8,000 kilometers of trails are a real challenge! We've reviewed the tours offered by the Harzinfo tourist board and present the best routes for families, long-distance hikers, summiteers, and anyone who prefers to stay off the beaten track.
Let's go! If you're looking to gain some serious elevation while hiking in the Harz Mountains, this is the place for you. An overview of the most beautiful climbs.
The Summit Trail takes you right through the low mountain range. The 48.3-kilometer route runs primarily along narrow hiking and mountain paths and takes you to seven striking peaks.
On this mountain hike, you'll enjoy magnificent views of the Harz National Park. Sturdy footwear and a good level of stamina are essential. Unless you're an extreme hiker, you should also plan on two days.
"Many stones, tired legs, no view, Heinrich Heine" – this quote is only attributed to Heinrich Heine. Nevertheless, you can follow in the poet's footsteps on the Heinrich Heine Trail in the Ilsetal Valley.
This route is a poem: the Heinrich Heine hiking trail in the Ilsetal.
Source: imago stock&people
On the 10.5-kilometer route, you'll climb 857 meters and eventually arrive at the Kleiner Brocken. Heine probably didn't take exactly the same route in 1824. But that's another story.
A hike to the summit of Wurmberg is not for the faint-hearted! The 12.5-kilometer route is considered difficult and suitable for anyone seeking peak athletic performance.
View of the Wurmberg in winter: simply beautiful!
Source: imago images/Shotshop
The hike begins at the parking lot at the valley station of the Wurmberg cable car and is signposted as Route 10. The trail leads uphill past the Lower and Upper Bode Waterfalls to the reservoir and finally to the summit. It then descends toward the Großer Winterberg and also runs for a short distance along the former inner-German border.
On a family hiking trip, children are often reluctant to follow along – unless the adults come up with exciting trails. These certainly belong to that category, according to the Harz Tourism Association.
On this 7.5-kilometer circular hike, the lynx is on fire! It starts at the hikers' meeting point at the Haus der Natur (House of Nature) in the spa gardens, where the Burgberg cable car takes you comfortably up the Großer Burgberg (Great Burgberg). Then, the hike continues along the Kaiserweg (Kaiserweg) and the Sonnenpromenade (Sun Promenade) to the Rabenklippe (Rabenklippe) with its lynx enclosure.
In 1818, a hunter killed the last Harz lynx. These shy predators are slowly returning. Today, approximately 90 lynx live in the Harz.
Source: imago images/Martin Wagner
You can find out when public predator feedings take place in the corresponding events calendar . Hikers can fortify themselves at the nearby forest restaurant for the return journey, which leads via the Tiefer Kohlstelle back to the cable car.
Follow animal tracks, listen to bird songs, or compete in a jumping race with a wild boar: boredom is a thing of the past on the Dandelion Discovery Trail.
At the interactive stations along the 1.2-kilometer-long trail on the Hohenkamm, children can experience nature with all their senses. There's also an adventure playground waiting for them – perfect for letting off steam.
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This section of the Teufelsmauerstieg isn't particularly strenuous—it's easily manageable even with short legs or a child on your back. The 7.5-kilometer circular route begins and ends between Neinstedt and Weddersleben.
Goethe himself visited the Devil’s Wall and found it “so strangely beautiful”.
Source: imago images/imagebroker AndreasxVitting
In between lie the Teufelsmauergarten (Devil's Wall Garden), the Teufelsmauer (Devil's Wall), the Papensteine (Papen Stones), and Wendhusen Monastery. Adults can enjoy the magnificent views and have some exciting legends and myths surrounding this bizarre rock formation ready for the children.
The Harz Mountains are a popular hiking destination. If other people scare you off, here are a few routes that aren't so crowded.
Comparatively few hikers get lost on the Hutthaler Widerwaage water hiking trail – which is actually strange: The seven-kilometer-long tour brings you closer to the Upper Harz water management system, a World Heritage Site after all, with its complex system of ditches, tunnels, and ponds.
You are surrounded by a varied and beautiful landscape.
Old castle moats, natural paths and small houses that have grown into the rocks: On the hike to the cave dwellings near Langenstein you enter a bygone, almost unreal world.
The cave dwellings in Longstone are reminiscent of Tolkien's Shire.
Source: imago images/Zoonar
The circular trail takes you over seven kilometers in the footsteps of the young farmworker families who once carved their cave dwellings into the sandstone. The last troglodyte, as the cave dwellers are called, is said to have left their dwellings only in 1916.
The view of the sandstone caves of Blankenburg is breathtaking. The starting point of this circular hike is the Regenstein parking lot; from there, follow signpost number 6. For just over ten kilometers, you'll trudge through shady pine forests and along mule tracks in the sandstone.
The hike begins at Regenstein Castle. The ruins of the medieval fortress are also a great destination.
Source: imago images/Shotshop
You have the necessary time, fitness and equipment – we provide the right tours that will take you on several days.
The Harz Witches' Trail encompasses a total of 150 kilometers. Each trail introduces you to the nature, geology, history, and culture of this enchanting landscape.
On the Hexenstieg you get to know the Harz from the Brocken perspective: at an altitude of 1141 meters you can overlook large parts of the low mountain range.
Source: imago images/CHROMORANGE
Adventure islands draw your attention to interesting details that are easily overlooked amidst dense forests, along breathtaking gorges or in medieval half-timbered towns.
You should allow at least 46 hours for the South Harz Karst Hiking Trail – if you want to hike it in one go.
In fact, you shouldn't just let the 167-kilometer hike pass you by; instead, you should take your time to enjoy the unique and varied gypsum karst landscape with its diverse flora and fauna.
100 hilly kilometers spread over six stages – a quick hike isn't enough. The mountain inns (Bauden) along the Harzer Baudensteig Trail are prepared for hungry hikers and offer both rustic and fine dining. The hike from Bad Grund to Walkenried Monastery is also a true feast for the eyes with beautiful views.
The Baudensteig also runs over the Ravensberg near Bad Sachsa.
Source: imago images / Andreas Vitting
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