Guest guide
The Harz to explore
Tap a place to see what awaits you there and go straight to the provider's website. Use the town buttons to zoom in on our houses.
Draft for review: 27 of 60 suggestions are on the map.
All places on the map
The same places as a list, sorted by type.
Nature
-
Bode Gorge Thale
Explore this granite gorge, about 10 kilometres long and around 280 metres deep near Thale, on trails past the Devil's Bridge and the Bodekessel pothole, up the zigzag Schurre path to the Rosstrappe, or climbing in the Steinbach valley.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Oker Valley and Romkerhall waterfall Goslar-Oker (Romkerhall)
Between the Oker dam and the Goslar district of Oker the river has cut more than 350 metres deep into the rock; you hike past granite cliffs and viewpoints such as the Treppenstein, to the Verlobungsinsel island and the waterfall at Romkerhall.
6.4 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
Water
-
Rappbode Dam with the Titan RT suspension bridge Oberharz am Brocken (Rübeland/Wendefurth)
At Germany's highest dam wall (106 metres) you cross the Titan RT suspension bridge about 100 metres above the valley; for more thrills there is the Megazipline, the Gigaswing and wall running down the Wendefurth dam, plus a viewing tower, a 5D cinema and playgrounds.
13 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Radau Waterfall Bad Harzburg
The roughly 23-metre waterfall was created in 1859 to attract visitors and lies right on the B 4 road; on foot you reach it from Bad Harzburg on a loop of just over 10 kilometres via the Kaltes Tal and the Molkenhaus.
4.7 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
Lake Vienenburg Vienenburg
At this lake in a former gravel pit there is a jetty for canoes and pedal boats, a café and lakeside paths; for swimming use the outdoor pool right next door, and in August Vienenburg holds its lake festival here.
Views
-
Witches' Dance Floor Thale
On this legendary rock plateau high above the Bode Gorge you will find bronze figures, the Walpurgis Hall (more than 100 years old), remains of a Germanic rampart and the new witches' village; you get there on foot or by gondola.
20 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website Walpurgis Night at the Hexentanzplatz
-
Wurmberg Tower (former Wurmberg ski jump) Braunlage
Where the in-run tower of the big Wurmberg ski jump stood until 2014, the 32-metre Wurmberg Tower has stood since 2019, with two glazed viewing platforms, exhibition floors on the history of the jump and a tunnel slide down; take the stairs or the lift.
14 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Brocken summit Wernigerode (Schierke)
On the 1,141-metre summit, the highest mountain in northern Germany, the Brockenhaus national park visitor centre presents the mountain's history and nature on three floors; you get up on foot or by the Brocken Railway, not by car.
12 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website Dates Walpurgis in Schierke
-
Harz Tower, Torfhaus Torfhaus (Altenau)
From this 65-metre wood-and-steel viewing tower you look out over the Brocken and the national park; go up on foot or by lift, try the glass skywalk, and come down the 110-metre 'Rasantia' slide (minimum height 1.30 metres).
10 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
Culture
-
Harz Mountain Theatre, Thale Thale
At this open-air theatre on the Hexentanzplatz you can see fairy tales, mystical stories, operettas, musicals, plays and concerts; after five years of renovation it reopened in May 2025 with new lighting and sound and more seats.
20 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Wernigerode market square and town hall Wernigerode
The half-timbered town hall with its two slender oriel towers by the entrance is the landmark of the 'colourful town in the Harz' and one of the most important half-timbered buildings in Central Europe; its restored façade has been on view again since August 2026.
0.3 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website Dates Wernigerode Christmas marketWernigerode town hall festival
-
Wernigerode Castle Wernigerode
The castle above the town shows, on two tours through almost 40 rooms, how the princely family lived in the second half of the 19th century; children can discover the filming locations of 'The Little Ghost'.
-
Imperial Palace of Goslar Goslar
Built between 1040 and 1050 under Henry III, the palace was the most frequently used seat of the emperors in the north of the empire in the High Middle Ages; the Imperial Hall is decorated with large 19th-century paintings, and there is an audio guide for children aged eight and up.
8.1 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website Dates Goslar Christmas market and Christmas forest
-
Rammelsberg Mine (World Heritage) Goslar
In this ore mine with more than 1,000 years of mining history you ride the mine train underground or walk through the Roeder adit with its huge water wheels; there are family tours for children.
-
Quedlinburg World Heritage town Quedlinburg
More than 2,000 half-timbered houses from eight centuries line the lanes and squares, while the Romanesque collegiate church of St Servatius with its treasury towers above on its sandstone rock; the town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.
24 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website Dates Advent in the Courtyards, Quedlinburg
Family
-
Lynx enclosure at the Rabenklippe Bad Harzburg
At the national park's lynx enclosure you can watch these very shy cats from a raised platform; at the public feeding, national park staff tell you about their lives. There is no access by car: from Bad Harzburg it is about 4 kilometres on foot (the Burgberg cable car saves about 200 metres of climbing), and in season a bus runs there too.
-
Pixelmania indoor play park Goslar
In this indoor play hall of more than 3,000 square metres children climb and slide through a course on five levels; the youngest have their own area with ball pit, slides and miniature houses, older ones play laser tag and arcade games.
7.2 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
Rübeland stalactite caves Rübeland (Oberharz am Brocken)
On guided tours down about 300 steps you see colourful dripstones in the Baumannshöhle, Germany's oldest show cave, and in the Hermannshöhle with its crystal chamber and olms; there are torchlight tours for children.
9.5 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Bocksberg adventure mountain, Hahnenklee Goslar-Hahnenklee
A gondola or chairlift takes you up the Bocksberg; come down on the Bocksbergbob (1,250 m) and Drachenblitz (560 m) summer toboggan runs or on mountain carts, with a bike park and a witches' maze, and in winter a ski and sledging area mainly for beginners.
15 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
HaWoGe Spiele-Magazin indoor playground Halberstadt
In this listed former barracks storehouse you can romp across more than 3,000 square metres on three floors: a mega fun park with wave and tube slides, a spider tower and an electric go-kart track, trampolines, a ninja course, video games for teens and a separate floor for toddlers, all barrier-free. Non-slip grip socks are required.
18 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
Railways
-
Thale cable cars: gondola and chairlift Thale
The gondola carries you across the Bode Gorge up to the Hexentanzplatz and the chairlift up to the Rosstrappe with its legendary hoofprint; at the top there is the Harzbob summer toboggan run, down in the valley the Spassinsel play area.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Wurmberg mountain and cable car Braunlage
The 2.8-kilometre cable car takes you up the 971-metre Wurmberg, the highest mountain in Lower Saxony; in summer there are monster scooters, a bike park, a long marble run and an animal enclosure at the top.
17 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website Walpurgis in Braunlage
-
Brocken Railway Wernigerode (Drei Annen Hohne)
Steam locomotives of the Harz narrow-gauge railways haul the trains several times a day, without a cog rail, up to Brocken station at 1,125 metres; the steepest section from Drei Annen Hohne takes about 50 minutes.
-
Trans-Harz Railway Wernigerode – Nordhausen
This narrow-gauge line crosses the Harz from Wernigerode to Nordhausen, through the Drängetal valley with what the railway calls the only tunnel on any narrow-gauge line in eastern Germany, and past mountain villages such as Benneckenstein and Ilfeld.
-
Selke Valley Railway Quedlinburg – Gernrode – Alexisbad
Opened in 1887, the oldest narrow-gauge railway in the region runs from Quedlinburg via Gernrode through the Selke valley with its rocks, meadows, ponds and beech and oak woods towards Harzgerode and Hasselfelde.
-
Burgberg cable car and Großer Burgberg Bad Harzburg
Since 1929 the cable car has taken visitors up the 483-metre Burgberg in three minutes; at the top you find the ruins of the Harzburg castle, the Canossa Column, an exhibition on the castle's history and trails into the national park.
3.1 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website Dates Bad Harzburg horse-racing weekSalt and Light Festival, Bad Harzburg
Winter
-
Wurmberg ski area Braunlage
The largest alpine ski area in northern Germany has more than 13 kilometres of slopes of all levels, the longest running 4.3 kilometres down to Braunlage; for sledging there is a 1.6-kilometre toboggan run with snowmaking and a family sledging area.
14 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
More suggestions from our research (24)
Not on the map yet. Tell us what should be added.
-
Steinerne Renne gorge Wernigerode (Hasserode)
In this gorge of the Holtemme, about 2.5 kilometres long, small waterfalls and rapids alternate with calm stretches; from the narrow-gauge station of the same name a trail leads through the valley and, if you like, on to the Brocken.
6.1 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Ilse Valley and Ilse Falls Ilsenburg
The Heinrich Heine Trail follows the Ilse past the cascading Ilse Falls up to the Brocken; from the Ilsestein rock, 100 metres above the river, you look into the valley and to the Brocken, and down in the valley there is a Kneipp pool and a water playground.
9.7 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
Brocken climbing forest Ilsenburg
In the Ilse valley you climb among big old trees on 11 courses with more than 100 elements, children from age 4 on their own courses; the Mega Flying Fox course, over 1,000 metres long, leads down to the Ilse river. Booking required.
8.4 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Oker Dam Altenau-Schulenberg
The largest reservoir of the Harzwasserwerke holds 46.85 million cubic metres of water; you can walk or cycle all the way round the lake, and in the warmer months private boats without engines are out on the water.
7.7 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
Ecker Dam Bad Harzburg
When Germany was divided, the border ran right through the reservoir and the dam; a former East German border post still stands on the wall. The dam cannot be reached by car, and a 10-kilometre trail leads round the lake.
7.4 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
Devil's Wall Thale-Weddersleben
This formation of hard Cretaceous sandstone stretches over 20 kilometres between Ballenstedt and Blankenburg; legend has it that the devil could keep all the land he enclosed with a wall in a single night.
22 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Torfhaus national park visitor centre Torfhaus (Altenau)
This family-friendly visitor centre shows on two floors how wilderness is returning in the national park; the Goethe Trail to the Brocken and the loop round the Großes Torfhausmoor bog start here, with the Brocken about five kilometres away.
-
Cross-country ski trails around Braunlage Braunlage
Classic or skating: ski trails of different levels, for example around the Hasselkopf, some of them floodlit in the evening; connecting trails lead to Hohegeiß, Torfhaus and Schierke.
18 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Goslar old town and carillon Goslar
In the World Heritage old town with around 1,500 half-timbered houses, winding lanes and slate roofs, the carillon with moving figures on the market square tells the story of Harz mining several times a day.
-
Upper Harz Water Management System Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Built between the 16th and 19th centuries, 107 ponds, 310 kilometres of ditches and 30 kilometres of watercourses supplied the mines with energy; today they run through the Upper Harz landscape, some ponds are used for swimming, and the World Heritage information centre at the Upper Harz Mining Museum explains the system.
17 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
Samson Mine Sankt Andreasberg
In this silver mine, worked from 1521, you see huge water wheels and the 'Fahrkunst' man engine, according to the operator the last one in the world; it is the last fully preserved mine of historic Upper Harz ore mining and has been World Heritage since 2010.
-
19-Lachter Adit Wildemann (Clausthal-Zellerfeld)
On the guided tour you walk about 500 metres into this 16th-century drainage adit, see a nine-metre reversing water wheel and look more than 260 metres down the illuminated Ernst August shaft from a bridge.
-
Regenstein Castle and Fortress Blankenburg (Harz)
At this rock castle you walk through rooms carved into the sandstone; the open-air museum tells its story, children follow their own trail with information boards, and at Easter and Whitsun there are medieval and Viking festivals.
-
Falkenstein Castle Falkenstein/Harz (Pansfelde)
This high-medieval hilltop castle above the Selke valley has a museum on its history, and children can join activities as knights or noble ladies; from the car park it is just under two kilometres on foot, or take the small road train or castle taxi.
-
Halberstadt Cathedral and Treasury Halberstadt
In the cathedral you see the most extensive medieval church treasure still kept in its original place, with gold and ivory work, sculptures, manuscripts, vestments and Romanesque tapestries from the 12th century.
-
Werla imperial palace site Schladen-Werla
This freely accessible archaeological and landscape park above the Oker is the largest archaeological park in northern Germany; steel-plate ground plans and a reconstructed west gate show where the Ottonian royal palace stood, with family Sundays and children's tours.
-
Harly Tower Vienenburg
This viewing tower, just over 18 metres high, stands in the Harly woods and is looked after by volunteers; from the viewing room you see across Vienenburg to the Harz.
2.2 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg Website
-
Vienenburg Railway Museum Vienenburg
In the station built in 1840, one of the oldest surviving stations in Germany, you learn about the first German state railway; on a 1:87 model railway, trains run as they did in the 1960s.
0.3 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg Website
-
Christianental wildlife park Wernigerode
On about 8 hectares you see native animals such as red and fallow deer, mouflon, wild boar, lynx, wildcats and birds of prey; children can pet farm animals in the petting area and play on the playground.
1.6 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
'Little Harz' miniature park and Bürgerpark Wernigerode
The miniature park shows more than 60 Harz sights in small scale, with model narrow-gauge trains puffing up to the Brocken between them; the adjoining Bürgerpark has themed gardens, playgrounds, adventure towers and an animal enclosure.
-
Hexentanzplatz wildlife park Thale
More than 70 species, mostly native to the Harz, live here, including brown bears, wolves, lynx and eagle owls; there is also a petting area and the 'Hexe Lilly' adventure playground.
20 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website
-
Iberg dripstone cave and cave experience centre Bad Grund
You explore the dripstone cave with cave guides, children from age four; the museum covers, among other things, the oldest genetically proven family of the Bronze Age found so far.
-
Pullman City Harz western town Hasselfelde
In this replica western town on 200,000 square metres there are western shows changing every hour, plus animal enclosures, adventure play areas and 'Tonky Town', a 1,000-square-metre indoor western town.
-
HarzWaldHaus forest exhibition Bad Harzburg
This interactive forest exhibition next to the cable car valley station shows how the Harz forest is changing, tells the story of the lynx's return and has Germany's largest indoor formicarium, where you can watch wood ants.
3.0 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
Food & drink around our houses
Our picks for breakfast, dinner and a quick bite, with the walk from the nearest of our houses.
Bad Harzburg
-
Wolfs Kaffeehaus Breakfast & café
The Wolf bakery's coffee house with a conservatory overlooking the Jungbrunnen fountain: a hearty breakfast, salads and ciabatta at lunchtime, and gateaux from its own patisserie.
Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 70, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 16 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Café Winuwuk Breakfast & café
A coffee house at the edge of the forest in a fairy-tale building by the artist Bernhard Hoetger from 1922, next to the Sonnenhof art gallery: coffee and cake in a place that is an outing in itself.
Waldstraße 9, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 29 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
La Locanda da Franco Restaurant · Italian
A family-run ristorante and pizzeria on Breite Straße: oven-baked pizza, homemade pasta and meat and fish dishes.
Breite Straße 19, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 2 min on foot from Badestraße 20 Website
-
Rustico Restaurant · Italian
Italian delicatessen with a restaurant on Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße: a daily changing menu, antipasti and selected wines.
Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 31, 38667 Bad Harzburg · about 11 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Pho Viet Restaurant · Asian
Sushi bar and Asian kitchen on the station square, with its own room for parties.
Am Bahnhofsplatz 2, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 4 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Bräustüb'l Restaurant · German
An inn with honest, down-to-earth cooking: regional Harz specialities, hearty meat dishes and homemade sides.
Goslarsche Straße 1a, 38667 Bad Harzburg · about 19 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Herzog Wilhelm 29 Restaurant · German
Restaurant on Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße with regional and international dishes, seasonal specials and vegetarian options, with outdoor tables too.
Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 29, 38667 Bad Harzburg · about 11 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Restaurant Korfu Restaurant · Greek
Greek restaurant in Harlingerode with starters, grilled dishes, gyros and fish, cosy and family-friendly.
Meinigstraße 1, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 18 min on foot from An der Wolfswiese 16
-
Döner aus Bad Harzburg Snacks
Döner kebab and Turkish snacks, vegetarian options too, to take away or eat in on Breite Straße in Bündheim.
Breite Straße 11b, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 3 min on foot from Badestraße 20
-
Sülo's Pavillon Snacks
Snack bar with a kiosk in Schlewecke for a quick bite.
Breite Straße 104a, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 4 min on foot from Bahnhofstraße 14
-
Bäcker Wolf mit Drive-in Bakery
A branch of the Goslar bakery Wolf with a drive-through and parking: fresh rolls and bread right on Jasperstraße, handed straight to your car window if you like.
Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 12, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 2 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Bäcker Stübig – Café Friederike Bakery
Café-bakery of Bad Harzburg's own Stübig bakery on the station square: rolls, bread and cake from its bakehouse in Westerode.
Am Bahnhofsplatz 2, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 5 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
Wernigerode
-
Café Silberbach Breakfast & café
Recommended by Luisa and Robert
The café of the Silberbach bakery is tucked away in a quiet lane between the town hall and Nicolaiplatz: breakfast with homemade jam and freshly squeezed juice, later gateaux, strudel and filled baguettes, and in fine weather you sit in the sheltered garden.
Unterengengasse 8, 38855 Wernigerode · 6 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a Website
-
Café Wien Breakfast & café
A traditional café in a half-timbered building from 1583, one of the oldest in town: breakfast from filled rolls to a spread for two, plus homemade cakes and plenty of coffee specialities.
Breite Straße 4, 38855 Wernigerode · 6 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a Website
-
Das Luma'z Breakfast & café
A bright café with big windows and 'a different kind of breakfast': creative combinations with international touches, colourful bagels to top yourself and barista coffee.
Burgstraße 13, 38855 Wernigerode · 16 min on foot from Mühlental 11 Website
-
Orchidea Huong Restaurant · Asian
Recommended by Luisa and Robert
Huong Trute's restaurant in Klintgasse: Vietnamese and Japanese cooking in its two dining rooms, Lan and Hanazono, all freshly prepared without flavour enhancers.
Klintgasse 1, 38855 Wernigerode · 4 min on foot from Forckestraße 17 Website
-
Brauhaus Wernigerode Restaurant · German
A tavern in a half-timbered house in the heart of the old town: Harz cooking from homemade schnitzel to burgers and six beers on tap, with room for larger groups too.
Breite Straße 24, 38855 Wernigerode · about 6 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a Website
-
ZeitWerk und Pietsch Restaurant · fine dining
Robin Pietsch's two Michelin-starred restaurants under one roof: creative courses with regional roots from the open kitchen at ZeitWerk, Asian-inspired cooking at the counter at Pietsch – one for a special evening.
Breite Straße 53a, 38855 Wernigerode · about 4 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29 Website
-
Piazza Colombo Restaurant · Italian
Italian restaurant right next to the town hall: freshly prepared Italian dishes and Italian wines, with tables outside on the market square.
Marktplatz 9, 38855 Wernigerode · about 6 min on foot from Forckestraße 17 Website
-
La Collina Restaurant · Italian
Ristorante and pizzeria in the listed Amtshaus on the Burgberg: pizza, pasta and Italian classics.
Burgberg 15, 38855 Wernigerode · 10 min on foot from Mühlental 11 Website
-
Waldgasthaus Christianental Restaurant · regional
A traditional inn in the middle of the Christianental wildlife park: Harz dishes, home cooking, coffee and cake, with a terrace, beer garden and a playground nearby – a lovely goal for a walk.
Christianental 43, 38855 Wernigerode · about 18 min on foot from Mühlental 11 Website
-
breite acht – Bowl Bar Snacks
Recommended by Luisa and Robert
A bowl bar for a healthy snack: build your own bowl from rice, quinoa or noodles, fresh vegetables, salmon, chicken, prawns or avocado and a sauce, to eat in or take away; at lunchtime there are changing dishes.
Breite Straße 8, 38855 Wernigerode · 6 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a Website
-
Dünya Döner Snacks
Döner kebab, pizza and burgers on the ground floor of the Altstadt-Passagen, to eat in or take away.
Ringstraße 37 (Altstadt-Passagen), 38855 Wernigerode · 4 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a Website
-
Bäckerei Silberbach Bakery
The craft bakery that also runs Café Silberbach: fresh rolls, bread, cakes and gateaux from its own bakehouse.
Marktstraße 37, 38855 Wernigerode · 5 min on foot from Forckestraße 17 Website
-
Bäckerei Steinecke am Bahnhof Bakery
Bakery at the main station with rolls, bread, filled snacks and coffee, plus breakfast.
Bahnhofsplatz, 38855 Wernigerode · 6 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29 Website
Vienenburg
-
Bäcker Wolf Vienenburg Breakfast & café
Bakery café with seating and a generous breakfast menu, plus bread and gateaux from the Goslar bakery Wolf.
Goslarer Straße 46, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 13 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11 Website
-
Café Vienenburg im historischen Bahnhof Breakfast & café
Café in the historic 1840 station building with an ornate Imperial Hall and a small railway museum: breakfast, lunch, coffee and cake.
Bahnhofstraße 8, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 8 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11 Website
-
eléa Restaurant · Greek
Greek restaurant with the motto 'dining with friends': typical Greek and Mediterranean cooking, also to take away.
Wiedelaher Straße 6, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 4 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11 Website
-
wan bao Restaurant · Asian
Chinese restaurant with a buffet and Mongolian grill.
Goslarer Straße 4, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 5 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11 Website
-
Pizza Italia Snacks
Pizzeria for pizza, pasta and oven-baked dishes to take away or have delivered.
Goslarer Straße 19, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 8 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11 Website
-
Eis-Ecke Vienenburg Snacks
The village ice-cream parlour for more than 80 years, near the station and bus stops, with shady seats outside.
Goslarer Straße 2, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 3 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11
-
Bäckerei Woltemate Bakery
Patisserie and bakery in the village: bread, rolls, gateaux and pastries made without artificial additives or flavourings.
Schiffgraben 1, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 9 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11 Website
Shopping around our houses
Bakeries and supermarkets nearby, so your first shop is quickly done.
Bad Harzburg
-
Penny am Schloss Shopping
Discount supermarket on Breite Straße in Bündheim, with a branch of the Stübig bakery inside.
Breite Straße 8, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 4 min on foot from Badestraße 20
-
EDEKA Center Lunze Shopping
Large supermarket near the station with staffed fish, meat and cheese counters, a hot-food counter, an in-store bakery with café and products from regional suppliers.
Am Güterbahnhof 1, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 8 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
ALDI Nord Schlewecker Straße Shopping
Discount supermarket on Schlewecker Straße, the nearest supermarket to our houses in Schlewecke: everything for your holiday shopping, with an in-store bake station and parking.
Schlewecker Straße 2, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 13 min on foot from Bahnhofstraße 14 Website
Wernigerode
-
ALDI Nord Mühlental Shopping
Recommended by Luisa and Robert
The discount supermarket in Mühlental, on the same street as our Mühlental 11 house: everything for your holiday shopping, with an in-store bake station and parking.
Mühlental 42, 38855 Wernigerode · 15 min on foot from Mühlental 11 Website
-
EDEKA in den Altstadt-Passagen Shopping
Supermarket in the Altstadt-Passagen shopping arcade, a minute from the market square: everything for breakfast and supper, with free parking at the centre.
Ringstraße 37 (Altstadt-Passagen), 38855 Wernigerode · 3 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a
Vienenburg
-
REWE Vienenburg Shopping
Full-range supermarket a few steps from our house on Osterwiecker Straße; Aldi and Penny are right next door.
Wiedelaher Straße 10, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 1 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11
Parking near our houses
Car parks and parking garages nearby, with the walk to the nearest of our houses. Where a house has its own parking spaces, the apartment description says so.
Bad Harzburg
-
Parkplatz Gestütstraße (Schloss Bündheim) Parking · Car park
free
Free municipal car park on Gestütstraße, right next to Bündheim Castle and the stud farm, eight minutes on foot from Badestraße and Jasperstraße.
Gestütstraße, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 8 min on foot from Badestraße 20
-
Parkplatz Berliner Platz Parking · Car park
paid
Car park with around 55 spaces at Berliner Platz, right by the Bummelallee in the town centre; entrance from Herzog-Julius-Straße, stays of up to ten hours, pay with coins or by phone.
Herzog-Julius-Straße (Berliner Platz), 38667 Bad Harzburg · 26 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Parkplatz Kurpark Parking · Car park
paid
Car park right by the spa park on Kurhausstraße; stays of up to six hours, pay with coins or by phone.
Kurhausstraße, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 27 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Parkplatz Sole-Therme Parking · Car park
paid
Car park at the Sole-Therme spa, also serving the Burgberg cable car, the HarzWaldHaus and the tourist information; stays of up to six hours, pay with coins or by phone.
Nordhäuser Straße, 38667 Bad Harzburg · 32 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Parkplatz Burgberg Parking · Car park
paid · with charging points
Large car park with around 190 spaces on the B 4 towards Torfhaus, near the Burgberg cable car, with a Stadtwerke charging point; stays of up to ten hours, pay with coins, card or by phone.
Nordhäuser Straße (B 4 Richtung Torfhaus), 38667 Bad Harzburg · 35 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
-
Großparkplatz Bad Harzburg Parking · Car park
paid
Large car park on the B 4 towards Torfhaus, handy for longer outings, for example with the Burgberg cable car; stays of up to ten hours, pay by card or by phone.
Nordhäuser Straße (B 4 Richtung Torfhaus), 38667 Bad Harzburg · 39 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20 Website
Wernigerode
-
Parkhaus Altstadt (Contipark) Parking · Parking garage
For guests of Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a and Grüne Straße 29
paid · max. height 2.0 m
Multi-storey car park with 396 spaces on the edge of the old town, entrance at Pfarrstraße 43 opposite the Altstadt-Passagen shopping arcade; open around the clock, with a lift and accessible toilets. If you are staying at Albert-Bartels-Straße 30 or Grüne Straße 29, one parking space per apartment is included here; your arrival information explains how to get in. Any further car parks in the same car park at the operator’s rates.
Pfarrstraße 43, 38855 Wernigerode · 3 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a Website
-
Parkplatz Pfarrstraße Parking · Car park
paid
Open-air car park on Pfarrstraße, the nearest public car park to Albert-Bartels-Straße and Grüne Straße.
Pfarrstraße, 38855 Wernigerode · 2 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a
-
Parkplatz Neuer Markt Parking · Car park
paid
Car park with around 40 spaces on the Neuer Markt square, a few minutes from Grüne Straße and Albert-Bartels-Straße.
Neuer Markt, 38855 Wernigerode · 3 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29
-
Parkplatz Am Katzenteich Parking · Car park
paid · with charging points · motorhomes allowed
Large car park on the edge of the old town; the footbridge at the Altstadtkreisel roundabout takes you to the market square in about ten minutes. With public toilets, two Stadtwerke charging points and a motorhome area (daily fee; electricity, water and waste disposal for a charge).
Am Katzenteich / Schlachthofstraße, 38855 Wernigerode · 10 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a Website
-
Parkplatz Anger (Historische Altstadt / Schloss) Parking · Car park
paid · with charging points · motorhomes allowed
The large central car park for the old town and the castle: ten minutes along Breite Straße to the market square, and the Schlossbahn road train to the castle starts here. Entrance by the petrol station on Halberstädter Straße; with public toilets, charging points and spaces for motorhomes.
Halberstädter Straße, 38855 Wernigerode · 10 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29 Website
-
Parkplatz Marktstraße / Schöne Ecke Parking · Car park
paid · with charging points
Barrier-controlled car park with around 90 spaces on the edge of the old town towards Nöschenrode, five minutes on foot to the market square; open around the clock, entrance via Schöne Ecke, with a charging point.
Schöne Ecke (Zufahrt über die Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Straße), 38855 Wernigerode · 7 min on foot from Forckestraße 17 Website
-
Parkplatz Degener Straße Parking · Car park
free · with charging points
Small car park on Nöschenröder Straße at the corner of Degener Straße, with a public Stadtwerke charging point; free, but only for short stays (three hours at most).
Nöschenröder Straße 61–62, 38855 Wernigerode · 7 min on foot from Mühlental 11 Website
Vienenburg
-
Park-and-ride-Parkplatz am Bahnhof Vienenburg Parking · Car park
free
Free park-and-ride car park at Vienenburg’s historic station, handy for train trips to Goslar, Bad Harzburg or Braunschweig.
Bahnhofstraße, 38690 Goslar-Vienenburg · 7 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11
Swimming & sauna
Outdoor pools, natural pools, indoor pools, leisure pools, thermal spas and saunas, sorted by our towns, with distances. Outdoor pools usually open from late May to early September.
Around Bad Harzburg
-
Silberbornbad indoor and outdoor pool Indoor pool, Outdoor pool · Bad Harzburg (Bündheim)
This combined indoor and outdoor pool in the sports park by the racecourse has a 25-metre pool, learner, wellness and paddling pools inside, and outside two 25-metre pools, a 50-metre giant slide, a fun pool with massage jets and a geyser and a lawn of about 4,000 square metres; it only opens in summer.
1.0 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website
-
Bad Harzburg Brine Spa with sauna world Thermal spa, Sauna · Bad Harzburg
At this spa by the Kurpark you bathe in indoor and outdoor pools filled with natural brine drawn from 840 metres below ground since 1966; the sauna world includes an infusion arena, a brine grotto built from local gabbro stone, an outdoor Finnish kota hut and a snow room.
3.0 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website
-
Oker outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Goslar (Oker)
This small family pool at the edge of the Harz has been run largely by volunteers of the VfL Oker sports club for 25 years; it has a water slide, a baby pool, a play area with a big sandpit and climbing tower, plenty of shade under trees and a kiosk.
3.9 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website
-
AQUANTIC swimming park Am Osterfeld Indoor pool, Outdoor pool, Sauna · Goslar
Outside the outdoor season the indoor pool with a 25-metre sports pool, multi-purpose pool and splash area and the sauna area with a green-roofed hillside sauna in the garden are open; in summer the heated outdoor pool offers a 50-metre pool, diving tower, slide, a large paddling pool and a mud play area.
6.8 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
Around Wernigerode
-
Waldhofbad outdoor pool, Wernigerode Outdoor pool · Wernigerode
The town's outdoor pool right in the centre has a 3-metre diving tower, a non-swimmers' pool with a long curving slide, a separate paddling pool for the little ones, a large sunbathing lawn and a beach volleyball court.
0.7 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Wernigerode indoor swimming pool Indoor pool, Sauna · Wernigerode
The bright municipal indoor pool has a 25-metre sports pool and a small spa pool with bubble jets and a fountain, plus a small sauna with women-only and mixed sessions.
1.3 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Brockenbad leisure pool at Hasseröder Ferienpark Leisure pool, Indoor pool, Sauna · Wernigerode (Hasserode)
At the holiday park's leisure pool you whizz down the 'Magic Eye' super slide, more than 100 metres long, or the rainbow slide, drift along the current channel with its bubbling mound and explore a grotto with a waterfall; next door is the 'Hexenkessel' sauna area with a wood-fired fireplace in its courtyard.
2.5 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Waldbad forest pool, Darlingerode Outdoor pool · Ilsenburg (Darlingerode)
This small outdoor pool lies in the middle of the woods in the Sandtal valley near Darlingerode and has two pools side by side, a children's pool and a sunbathing lawn.
4.9 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Derenburg outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Blankenburg (Derenburg)
The 20,000-square-metre grounds have a swimmers' and a non-swimmers' pool, a 42-metre water slide, a children's paddling pool, lawns for playing and sunbathing, beach volleyball, football and basketball pitches, table tennis and a giant chess board.
8.7 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Bodeperle outdoor pool, Rübeland Outdoor pool · Oberharz am Brocken (Rübeland)
This outdoor pool lies in the sheltered valley basin of Rübeland, surrounded by rocks and forest: a stainless-steel pool with three 25-metre lanes, a 15-metre slide, a water mushroom and a separate paddling pool with a small slide and a stream, plus beach volleyball, table tennis, a playground with a climbing castle and a small barrel sauna.
9.3 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Ilsestrandbad outdoor pool, Wasserleben Outdoor pool · Nordharz (Wasserleben)
Nordharz's municipal outdoor pool has been in a wooded valley near Wasserleben for more than 85 years; it has a pool with swimming lanes, a wide yellow slide, a round children's pool and sunbathing lawns on the slopes.
9.8 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website
-
Elend forest pool Outdoor pool · Oberharz am Brocken (Elend)
At this forest pool, open since 1933, a large swimming pool and a children's pool lie in the middle of the woods, with a large lawn and a beach volleyball court.
12 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
Around Vienenburg
-
Vienenburg outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Goslar (Vienenburg)
Built in 1929 and fully renovated in 2001, this outdoor pool has stainless-steel pools heated by a heat pump: a six-lane 25-metre pool with a 5-metre diving tower, a fun pool with a big slide and paddling pools, plus a mud play area and two large lawns under old trees.
0.7 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Schladen natural outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Schladen-Werla (Schladen)
On about 34,000 square metres of lawn on the edge of the village with a view of the Brocken you swim in the bathing pond, the learner pool with slide or the toddler area; there is also a giant slide, mini golf, beach volleyball, beach soccer and a playground.
7.0 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Hornburg outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Schladen-Werla (Hornburg)
At this outdoor pool on the Hagenberg, open since 1932, you swim in a solar-heated 50-metre pool with a shallow section and slide and jump from 1, 3 or 5 metres into the heated diving pool; little ones have a children's pool under a sun sail, and there is beach volleyball and mini golf next door.
8.3 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website
-
Tünneckenbrunnen village pool, Schauen Outdoor pool · Osterwieck (Schauen)
This village pool in Schauen, run by a supporters' association, has a rectangular pool with starting blocks, a lawn under conifers and a kiosk.
11 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Osterwieck outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Osterwieck
The town's outdoor pool by the river Ilse has a large pool with swimming lanes and starting blocks, a sunbathing lawn and a sand area; the 'Pro Sommerbad' association helps run it.
11 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
Further afield in the Harz and beyond
-
“Am Thie” natural outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Blankenburg (Harz)
This pool by the Thiepark cleans its water biologically without chlorine: there is a 25-metre pool with warm-water zones, a non-swimmers' pool with a pebble beach, a jumping rock over 4-metre-deep water, a stainless-steel slide and a baby pool with a spring stone, plus beach volleyball and a large lawn with a playground.
12 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Liebenburg mineral-water outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Liebenburg
Built in 1972 below the castle, this outdoor pool is fed from its own well with water of mineral-water quality; it has a 50-metre pool, a diving pool, a learner pool, a double paddling pool, a large sunny lawn with play equipment and a beach volleyball court.
12 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website
-
Zilly outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Osterwieck (Zilly)
This village pool, run by a supporters' association, has three pools in a row, a light-blue slide, a beach volleyball court and a kiosk during the season.
13 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Kristall Therme 'Heißer Brocken' thermal brine spa Thermal spa, Sauna · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Altenau)
High up on the Glockenberg above Altenau you bathe in indoor and outdoor thermal brine pools – in the 'Hexen-Zuber' even in 12 % brine at 36 °C – and sweat in six themed saunas and a steam tunnel. Swimwear is optional in the pools and not worn in the saunas; under-16s only with an adult.
13 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
Langenstein outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Halberstadt (Langenstein)
Built by the people of Langenstein themselves in 1974, this outdoor pool has a 50 by 25 metre swimming pool with a 3-metre tower, a non-swimmers' pool, a baby paddling pool, a large lawn and a snack bar; today a supporters' association looks after it.
14 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Wölfi-Bad forest outdoor pool, Wolfshagen Outdoor pool · Langelsheim (Wolfshagen im Harz)
This forest outdoor pool has an asymmetrically shaped 50-metre pool for swimmers and non-swimmers, diving boards at 1, 3 and 5 metres and a giant slide starting from the 5-metre tower. Little ones have a paddling pool with a big sandy play area, and there is beach volleyball and a trampoline.
15 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Salzgitter-Bad thermal brine spa Thermal spa, Sauna · Salzgitter (Salzgitter-Bad)
In the brine wave pool you swim in natural brine at about 30 °C with waves every full hour, and all year round also in the open-air brine pool; the sauna area has herbal, Finnish and log-cabin saunas, a brine steam bath, a brine relaxation pool, a sauna garden and a winter garden.
16 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
Langelsheim outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Langelsheim
The town's outdoor pool has a swimming and sports pool with 1- and 3-metre diving boards and a slide, a non-swimmer pool with a small water slide and a paddling pool; the pools are not heated.
16 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Hessen outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Osterwieck (Hessen)
The outdoor pool next to the sports ground in Hessen has a rectangular pool with a blue slide, a round children's pool and a kiosk with snacks and drinks.
16 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Braunlage indoor and leisure pool Indoor pool, Sauna · Braunlage
The indoor pool has two pools with bubble jets, a counter-current system, a waterfall and massage jets, a whirlpool and a heated outdoor pool. There is also a Finnish sauna, a steam sauna and a solarium, and from June to August a sunbathing lawn.
17 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Hasselfelde forest lake pool Outdoor pool · Oberharz am Brocken (Hasselfelde)
This forest lake pool is a basin of about 10,000 square metres fed by pure spring water and surrounded by woods, with a diving tower (3 and 5 metres), a bathing island, a large lawn and play area and a beach volleyball court.
17 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Clausthal-Zellerfeld indoor pool Indoor pool, Sauna · Clausthal-Zellerfeld
This indoor pool has a 25-metre pool with 1- and 3-metre diving boards and water at 26–28 °C, plus a Finnish sauna, a steam room and a solarium. On weekday mornings school classes share the pool during public hours.
17 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
'Am Spring' outdoor pool, Badersleben Outdoor pool · Huy (Badersleben)
The village pool on the edge of Badersleben has a large lane pool, a tube slide and a small pool with a sunbathing lawn.
18 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Bürgerbad outdoor pool, Lautenthal Outdoor pool · Langelsheim (Lautenthal)
Opened in 1928 at the edge of the forest and run by a volunteer association since 2006, this outdoor pool has a 25-metre, five-lane pool, a non-swimmer pool, a big slide and a baby paddling pool. The grounds of more than 16,000 square metres also offer beach volleyball, a playground with a climbing castle and a kiosk with terrace.
18 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Spiegelbad outdoor pool, Wildemann Outdoor pool · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Wildemann)
This outdoor pool in the Spiegeltal valley is run by volunteers of the Spiegelbad Wildemann association and has a swimming pool with a diving board, a non-swimmer area with a slide, a paddling pool, a lawn, a sandpit and a kiosk. People have been swimming here since 1912.
18 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Westerhausen outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Thale (Westerhausen)
This outdoor pool below the Königstein rock has one large pool with a separate non-swimmers' section, spacious lawns with shady spots, two table-tennis tables and a volleyball court.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Sea Land pool and Sauna Land, Halberstadt leisure centre Indoor pool, Leisure pool, Sauna · Halberstadt
Sea Land has a 25-metre pool with 1- and 3-metre diving boards, a 30-degree leisure pool with a current channel, the 78-metre Black Hole slide with light effects, a water spray park and an outdoor pool open all year; Sauna Land offers six saunas including a steam room, a whirlpool and a sauna garden.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Thale outdoor pool (Sommerbad) Outdoor pool · Thale
The outdoor pool has a swimmers' pool and a non-swimmers' pool, water play features, beach volleyball, table tennis, a balancing course and large lawns; payment is cash only.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Rohrsheim outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Osterwieck (Rohrsheim)
The Rohrsheim village club runs this outdoor pool on the edge of the village, with a long lane pool, a slide and a sunbathing lawn.
19 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Bodetal Therme spa, Thale Thermal spa, Sauna · Thale
At this spa on the banks of the Bode you can bathe in the Rosstrappe pool with water loungers, massage jets and a pool bar, in the 34 °C light and sound pool with underwater music and in the outdoor pool, open all year, looking into the Bode Valley; children have their own pool, the “Witches' Puddle”, and the sauna area has indoor and outdoor saunas with panoramic views.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Remlingen outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Remlingen-Semmenstedt (Remlingen)
Open since 1932 and located next to the school, this outdoor pool has been fully renovated and reopened in September 2026, with an enlarged stainless-steel pool, a learner pool with water slide and a new paddling pool with a rainbow slide.
20 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website
-
Hohegeiß forest outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Braunlage (Hohegeiß)
This outdoor pool at the edge of the forest has a 50-metre pool with whirlpool jets and 1- and 3-metre diving boards, a non-swimmer pool with a slide, a paddling pool, two sunbathing lawns, beach volleyball and a kiosk with sun terrace. The 'Am Bärenbache' campsite is right next door.
21 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Lake Halberstadt bathing beach Outdoor pool · Halberstadt
This bathing lake with an entrance fee on the edge of town has a fine sandy beach, a bathing island in the middle of the lake, a jetty with pedal boats and stand-up paddle boards, a big playground, a naturist area and food and drink by the water.
22 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website
-
Groß Denkte outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Denkte (Groß Denkte)
This outdoor pool run by the Elm-Asse municipality at the foot of the Asse hills (listed as “Assebad” in OpenStreetMap) has a pool with a blue slide and sun sail and a terrace with a wooden pergola.
22 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Gebhardshagen forest pool Outdoor pool · Salzgitter (Gebhardshagen)
This heated outdoor pool in the woods is run by the Glück Auf Gebhardshagen sports club and was renovated in 2005; children under ten are only admitted with an adult.
22 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Dedeleben outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Huy (Dedeleben)
Run by a supporters' association, this outdoor pool has a combined swimmers' and non-swimmers' pool with a water slide and diving area (1 and 3 metres), a very large lawn with old trees, a 500-square-metre sand and mud playground, beach volleyball, table tennis and a barrel sauna.
22 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Okeraue leisure pool Leisure pool, Indoor pool, Outdoor pool, Sauna · Wolfenbüttel
Under a 400-square-metre retractable roof there is a lazy river, a grotto with waterfall and a climbing frame, plus an 83-metre tube slide, an eight-lane 25-metre pool and a year-round outdoor pool; in summer the outdoor pool with diving tower opens, and the sauna area has a sauna on a jetty and a 6,000-square-metre garden by the Oker river.
23 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
Indoor pool at the Bad Grund health centre Indoor pool · Bad Grund (Harz)
In the health centre's indoor pool you swim in water at 31 °C and 1.35 metres deep, so non-swimmers can stand; there is also a separate therapy pool and free aqua aerobics.
23 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
Zorge forest outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Walkenried (Zorge)
This solar-heated forest pool in the Kunzental valley has a 50 x 22.5 metre pool with its own diving area and a separate non-swimmer section with a slide, plus a children's pool with water toys. It has been run by a volunteer association since 2000.
23 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Sieber outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Herzberg am Harz (Sieber)
This solar-heated outdoor pool in the Harz village of Sieber is one of the four outdoor pools run by the town of Herzberg am Harz.
24 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Fümmelsee natural lake bath Outdoor pool · Wolfenbüttel
This lake, owned by the Wolfenbüttel swimming club and covering about 13,000 square metres of water, is cleaned by a reed-bed filter; there is also a learner pool with water slide and water mushroom, a large playground, beach volleyball, a kiosk and a café.
24 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Eilenstedt outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Huy (Eilenstedt)
A supporters' association runs this village pool with a rectangular lane pool, a paddling pool, a kiosk, a wooden pavilion and a beach volleyball court; in summer there are aqua fitness sessions and swimming courses.
24 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Quedlinburg indoor pool (Stadtbad) Indoor pool · Quedlinburg
The municipal indoor pool of 1903, with a half-timbered gable and an outdoor flight of steps, has a 9 by 18 metre pool with ozone-treated water at 29 °C; public swimming is at set times on weekdays.
25 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Münchehof outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Seesen (Münchehof)
This small outdoor pool in Münchehof, a district of Seesen on the western edge of the Harz, is run by the TSV Münchehof sports club and lies right next to the sports ground.
25 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Lonau outdoor pool Outdoor pool · Herzberg am Harz (Lonau)
One of the two forest pools run by the town of Herzberg am Harz lies in the woods on the northern edge of the village of Lonau.
25 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Klietz sports park, Quedlinburg Outdoor pool · Quedlinburg
At this sports pool by the Klietz pond, opened in 2024, you swim from April to mid-October in heated pools: a 25-metre sports pool and a shallow warm-up pool, plus a 3-metre diving tower, a water playground and an adventure playground, table tennis and a 12-hole adventure golf course.
26 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · April to October Website Opening hours
-
Sehusa Wasserwelt leisure pool Leisure pool, Indoor pool, Sauna · Seesen
The water world has the 75-metre 'Crazy Cone' tube slide with light effects, a 25-metre pool with diving towers, a non-swimmer pool with a pirate ship, a toddler area and a pool of 3 % thermal brine at 32 °C. The sauna area has Finnish, log-cabin and earth saunas, a herbal warm-air bath and a steam room.
26 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
ALOHA Aqualand pool and sauna, Osterode Indoor pool, Outdoor pool, Sauna · Osterode am Harz
The newly built indoor pool has a 25-metre sports pool with diving towers, a non-swimmer multi-purpose pool and a toddler area with an elephant slide, and in summer an outdoor pool with two slides. The sauna area has seven saunas, including a Kelo-wood charcoal-burner sauna for up to 80 people, plus a cold plunge pond and a large sauna garden.
28 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
VITAMAR leisure and adventure pool Leisure pool, Sauna · Bad Lauterberg im Harz
The largest wave pool in the Harz produces surf waves more than a metre high; there is also the 100-metre Black Hole slide with light effects, a giant wide slide, a wild-water channel, whirlpools and a children's area with a dolphin slide. The sauna area spreads over two floors and a garden with a log-cabin sauna.
29 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
Kirchberg thermal spa Thermal spa, Sauna · Bad Lauterberg im Harz
You relax in thermal brine pools at 30–36 °C, a freshwater pool, whirlpools and an outdoor pool. The sauna area has a Finnish sauna village with three round-log saunas, a bio sauna, a herbal steam bath, a Japanese sauna, a laconium and a salt grotto.
30 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
Salztal Paradies leisure pool Leisure pool, Indoor pool, Sauna · Bad Sachsa
Covering more than 5,000 square metres, it has a 95-metre tyre slide with a tyre lift, a wave pool, a current channel, two giant whirlpools, an outdoor swimming channel, a children's play area and a sports pool. There is also a sauna area and, in the neighbouring building, an ice rink.
31 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Thyragrotte leisure pool Leisure pool, Sauna · Südharz (Stolberg)
This leisure pool in the Thyra valley has three indoor pools, including a 20-metre swimming pool and a fun pool with massage jets and small geysers, slides, a whirlpool, a grotto in the middle of the water, a warm outdoor pool open all year and a heated outdoor pool in summer; since its renovation there is a new sauna area with an infusion sauna, a sanarium and a steam bath.
32 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Badehaus Nordhausen leisure pool Leisure pool, Sauna · Nordhausen
The Art Nouveau baths of 1907 and the new halls opened in 2001 offer a 25-metre sports pool, a pool beneath an Art Nouveau ceiling, a leisure pool with a current channel and massage jets, a paddling pool, an outdoor pool with bubble loungers and the 58-metre Blackhole slide; the sauna area upstairs has a roof garden with a terrace sauna.
36 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year Website Opening hours
-
Wasserwelt Braunschweig leisure pool Leisure pool, Indoor pool, Sauna · Braunschweig
This leisure pool has an 88-metre tyre slide and a turbo slide, a lazy river, leisure, sports and outdoor pools and a separate children's area; the sauna world offers five sauna rooms, including two panorama saunas, and a 5,000-square-metre outdoor area with a bathing pond.
37 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · All year Website Opening hours
-
Bad Salzdetfurth brine bath Thermal spa, Sauna · Bad Salzdetfurth
In this indoor and outdoor brine bath by the spa gardens you bathe in brine at 30 to 33 °C, in a 250-square-metre indoor pool and a 450-square-metre outdoor pool with underwater massage jets; the sauna area includes a half-sunken Kelo earth sauna with a fireplace and a salt-stone sauna.
40 km as the crow flies from Vienenburg · All year Website Opening hours
Skiing & sledging
Ski areas, cross-country trails, sledging hills and ice rinks in the Harz. The snow report on each website tells you whether there is snow; skating times are listed by the rinks.
Skiing
-
Zwölfmorgental ski slope, toboggan run and forest trail Skiing, Sledging, Cross-country skiing · Wernigerode
On the southern edge of Wernigerode the Ski-Klub Wernigerode's drag lift serves a run of almost half a kilometre on a matting slope that is also used for training without snow (the lift is for skiers only); next to it is a toboggan run of about 300 metres, and at the end of the valley the Stadtwald cross-country trail of about 10 kilometres begins.
1.7 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Skialpinum Schulenberg Skiing · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Schulenberg)
Two double drag lifts serve four runs totalling about 3.5 kilometres, a gentle practice slope and a boarder park; on selected evenings there is floodlit skiing.
9.5 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
“Auf der Rose” ski meadow Skiing, Sledging · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Altenau)
The gentle, wide slopes with a pony lift are ideal for first attempts on skis or a snowboard; above the ski meadow there is a toboggan run of about 250 metres.
13 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Bocksberg in winter Skiing, Sledging · Goslar (Hahnenklee)
A gondola and a four-seater chairlift take skiers, snowboarders and tobogganers up the Bocksberg; at the top is the wide “Böckchen” ski and sledging area with a magic carpet, plus two blue runs, a family run down to the valley, a toboggan run of about 1.5 kilometres and, at the valley station, a practice slope with a lift and ski and sledge hire.
15 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Sonnenberg ski area Skiing, Sledging, Cross-country skiing · Braunlage (Sonnenberg)
At about 800 metres, drag lifts and a pony lift serve some 3.6 kilometres of runs from gentle family slopes to steep pistes, plus a fun park; next to the Sonnenhang there is a sledging slope, above by the road a 300-metre sledging lane through the forest, and several cross-country trails start at the Sonnenberg, including the Schneewittchenklippen loop.
16 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Wurmberg ski area Skiing, Sledging · Braunlage
The largest ski area in the Harz has seven lifts, including the gondola and the Hexen-Express four-seater chairlift, and 15 mostly easy to intermediate runs totalling about 11.6 kilometres; from the middle station a snow-making-equipped toboggan run of about 1.5 kilometres leads down to the valley, and at the Hexenritt there is a sledging area with a conveyor belt.
17 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Ski meadow and toboggan run by the town hall Skiing, Sledging · Braunlage
Right in the centre of Braunlage is the ski meadow with a drag lift, where the Braunlage ski school teaches, and next to it a toboggan run of about 350 metres with its own sledge lift.
17 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Matthias-Schmidt-Berg ski area Skiing · Braunlage (Sankt Andreasberg)
Two double chairlifts and a drag lift serve about 3.2 kilometres of runs with snow-making, from the blue beginners' slope to a black run; when conditions allow, the lifts also run under floodlights on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
21 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Heibek ski slope Skiing · Bad Lauterberg im Harz
Run by the local ski club, the drag lift serves an easy to intermediate run of about 300 metres that suits beginners; thanks to floodlights there is regular evening skiing.
30 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
Cross-country skiing
-
Hornberg cross-country trail Cross-country skiing · Oberharz am Brocken (Elbingerode)
The intermediate loop trail on the Hornberg near Elbingerode is about 10 kilometres long.
6.0 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website Snow report
-
Drei Annen Hohne cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Wernigerode (Drei Annen Hohne)
Drei Annen Hohne has a short children's and practice trail and the intermediate Hohne loops of about 4.4 and 4.7 kilometres.
8.0 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Schulenberg cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Schulenberg)
From the “Auf der Höhe” trail station an easy practice trail across the meadows (about 1.8 kilometres) and the intermediate Schulenberg trail (about 11.4 kilometres) set off.
10 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
“Brockenblick” sledge lift and trails at Torfhaus Sledging, Cross-country skiing · Bad Harzburg (Torfhaus)
By the large car park next to the national park visitor centre, the “Brockenblick” sledge lift pulls sledgers up the wide slope of about 300 metres, with enough snow and when announced also in the evening under floodlights; sledges can be hired at the ticket office, and cross-country trails such as the easy “Großes Torfhaus Moor” loop also start at Torfhaus.
10 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Altenau cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Altenau)
The easy Mühlenberg trail (about 3.6 kilometres), the intermediate Kunstberg trail (about 7.1 kilometres) and the difficult Tischlertal trail (about 10.6 kilometres) start at the Schultal in Altenau; link trails continue to Torfhaus and Stieglitzecke.
11 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Trails and sledging slope at the Winterbergtor Sledging, Cross-country skiing · Wernigerode (Schierke)
By the car park at the Winterbergtor there is a short sledging slope of about 100 metres that suits families and children well; the Winterberg trails (about 4.7 and 12.6 kilometres) and a skating trail start here, and the Königsberg trail begins close by.
12 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Oderbrück cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Braunlage (Oderbrück)
At Oderbrück in the national park, the trail via the Auerhahnweg to Torfhaus (about 3.9 kilometres), the Bodebruch trail (about 5.6 kilometres) and the difficult Achtermann trail (about 7.5 kilometres) begin.
13 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website Snow report
-
Hahnenklee cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Goslar (Hahnenklee)
On Lautenthaler Straße in Hahnenklee an easy practice trail (about 1.3 kilometres), the easy Wiehnbach trail (about 4.5 kilometres) and the intermediate mountain trail (about 5.9 kilometres) begin.
15 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Stieglitzecke cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Walkenried (Stieglitzecke)
From the Stieglitzecke car park on the B 242, two easy trails lead via the Reitstieg and the Ackerstraße to the Hans-Kühnenburg (about 7 kilometres each), and a link trail runs to Torfhaus.
15 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Tanne cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Oberharz am Brocken (Tanne)
Tanne has an easy practice trail (about 2.3 kilometres), the easy meadow trail (about 3.2 kilometres), the Hühnerbalz trail (about 4.2 kilometres) and the difficult Allerbach trail (about 5.6 kilometres).
16 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Trautenstein – Carlshaus tower trail Cross-country skiing · Oberharz am Brocken (Trautenstein)
This intermediate trail of about 7.2 kilometres leads from Trautenstein to the Carlshaus tower.
17 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website Snow report
-
Hasselfelde cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Oberharz am Brocken (Hasselfelde)
Around Hasselfelde there is the easy Tännichen/Kirschenberg trail (about 3.3 kilometres) and trails from Rotacker and from the Radwegehaus to the Carlshaus tower (about 4.6 and 7.1 kilometres).
18 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Braunlage cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Braunlage
On Von-Langen-Straße in Braunlage the easy Sonnenloipe (about 1.3 kilometres), a floodlit skating trail (about 2 kilometres) and the 5 or 10 kilometre trail begin.
18 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Hasselkopf sledge lift and trails Sledging, Cross-country skiing · Braunlage
At the Hasselkopf on the southern edge of Braunlage there is an easy sledging slope with a sledge lift, and the Hasselkopf trails of about 5 and 13.6 kilometres start here.
18 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Clausthal-Zellerfeld cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Clausthal-Zellerfeld
In the Zellerfeld valley there is a floodlit, intermediate competition trail (about 5.5 kilometres); the easy Sonnenloipe (about 4.1 kilometres) also starts on Goslarsche Straße.
19 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Hohegeiß cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Braunlage (Hohegeiß)
At the Heimathütte in Hohegeiß the easy meadow trail (about 3 kilometres), the easy small Ebersberg trail (about 5.7 kilometres) and the intermediate large Ebersberg trail (about 8.3 kilometres) begin.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Buntenbock cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Buntenbock)
In the Buntenbock spa park there is a floodlit, easy spa-park trail (about 2 kilometres) and a second spa-park trail; the intermediate Ziegenberg touring trail is about 5.1 kilometres long.
19 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Wildemann cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Wildemann)
Around Wildemann there are the easy Adlersberg trail (about 4 kilometres), the intermediate Hasenberg trail (about 10 kilometres) and a short skating trail over the Gallenberg.
20 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Jordanshöhe cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Braunlage (Sankt Andreasberg)
At the Jordanshöhe near Sankt Andreasberg the easy Beerberg loop (about 3.5 kilometres), the Jordanshöhe trail (about 3.4 kilometres), the trail to Dreibrode and the difficult Oderberg loop (about 5.4 kilometres) begin.
20 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Benneckenstein cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Oberharz am Brocken (Benneckenstein)
Near Benneckenstein there are the easy Rappenberg loop (about 4.5 kilometres), the easy Pfeiferberg loop (about 6 kilometres) and the long trail via Sophienhof (about 15.9 kilometres).
20 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Bad Grund cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Bad Grund (Harz)
On the B 242 above Bad Grund the easy Kreuzberg trail (about 5.8 kilometres), the intermediate Kreuzberg trail (about 7.5 kilometres) and the Iberg trail (about 5.5 kilometres) begin.
21 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
HEX adventure world sledging slope and trails Sledging, Cross-country skiing · Ellrich (Rothesütte)
At the HEX adventure world in Rothesütte, when there is enough snow the path from the fire station to the wooden gate becomes a sledging run of almost 200 metres for the whole family; the HEX trail (about 6.6 kilometres) and the Dampflok-HEX trail (about 11.8 kilometres) also start here.
22 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Bodetal cross-country arena, Friedrichsbrunn Cross-country skiing · Thale (Friedrichsbrunn)
Near Friedrichsbrunn run the intermediate trails of the Bodetal cross-country arena: the Ramberg trail (about 8 kilometres), the Friedrichsbrunn loop (about 13 kilometres) and the Sonnenloipe (about 4.2 kilometres).
24 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode Website Snow report
-
Ravensberg toboggan run and trails Sledging, Cross-country skiing · Bad Sachsa
Above the car park at the Ravensberg ski centre a groomed toboggan run of about 300 metres leads through a forest lane; cross-country trails start from the Ravensberg sports centre, among others to the Dr.-Hampe-Hütte and the Stöberhai.
29 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Bad Lauterberg cross-country trails Cross-country skiing · Bad Lauterberg im Harz
Near Bad Lauterberg the intermediate loop around the Scholben (about 7.3 kilometres) and the difficult Südharzloipe, which runs for about 49 kilometres through the southern Harz, begin.
31 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website Snow report
Sledging
-
Langenberg natural toboggan run Sledging · Bad Harzburg
This natural toboggan run of about 225 metres on the Langenberg, of intermediate difficulty, lies in the west of Bad Harzburg by the Hasselholz woods.
1.6 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Golf course natural sledging slope Sledging · Bad Harzburg
The short, easy sledging slope by the golf course (about 45 metres) lies just over 600 metres from the golf restaurant on the Breitenberg.
1.9 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Butterberg natural toboggan run Sledging · Bad Harzburg
From Eichendorffstraße it is only about 20 metres to the edge of the forest, where the easy sledging slope on the Butterberg, about 200 metres long, begins.
2.7 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Amtswiese toboggan run Sledging · Ilsenburg
This easy toboggan run of about 200 metres is on the Amtswiese meadow in the Suental in Ilsenburg.
8.7 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
“Grandmother” toboggan run Sledging · Wernigerode (Schierke)
The run of about 200 metres on the Ottoweg has a good gradient and gentle bends; the long run-out is especially good for young beginners.
11 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Sledging slope by the tourist information Sledging · Wernigerode (Schierke)
The sledging slope starts opposite the tourist information in Schierke; when the snow is firm you can slide about 150 metres into the spa park.
12 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Schäder natural toboggan run Sledging · Langelsheim (Wolfshagen im Harz)
The Schäder natural toboggan run, of intermediate difficulty, is about 250 metres long and lies by the Wolfshagen campsite.
15 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Spiegelthaler Straße toboggan run Sledging · Clausthal-Zellerfeld
This easy toboggan run runs alongside the former ski lift in Clausthal-Zellerfeld and is fun for young and old.
17 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Spiegeltal toboggan run Sledging · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Wildemann)
This easy toboggan run of about 860 metres is in the Spiegeltal near Wildemann; hot drinks, food and cake are available at the Hotel “Spiegeltaler Eck”.
18 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Ziegenberg toboggan run Sledging · Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Buntenbock)
This easy toboggan run of about 300 metres lies to the left of the holiday homes on the Ziegenberg, about 200 metres from the car park by the gym.
20 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Gretchenkopf sledging slope Sledging · Braunlage (Hohegeiß)
The short, easy sledging slope on the Gretchenkopf is about 200 metres from the car park at the northern edge of Hohegeiß.
20 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Teichtal toboggan run and snow tubing Sledging · Braunlage (Sankt Andreasberg)
The toboggan run of about 300 metres in the Teichtal by the spa house is lit in the evening and has snow-making when needed; the Teichtal also has a snow-tubing run with a lift.
20 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Snow report
-
“Hasental” toboggan run Sledging · Braunlage (Hohegeiß)
This easy toboggan run of about 240 metres in the Hasental is right in the middle of Hohegeiß; according to the Harz tourist board its sledge lift is currently not in operation.
21 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
“Am Brande” sledging centre Sledging · Braunlage (Hohegeiß)
Right in Hohegeiß two lifts serve the “Am Brande” sledging slopes, which are at most of intermediate difficulty; several times a week sledging continues after dark under floodlights.
21 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
-
Klobenberg toboggan run Sledging · Thale (Friedrichsbrunn)
This easy toboggan run of about 150 metres is on the Klobenberg in Friedrichsbrunn.
23 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Snow report
Ice skating
-
Bad Harzburg open-air ice rink Ice skating · Bad Harzburg
In winter an open-air ice rink of about 1,000 square metres is set up between the Sole-Therme spa and the motorhome site. The season starts on 14 November 2026: Wednesday to Friday from 12 noon to 6 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm with an ice disco and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm; further dates are listed in the town’s events calendar. Admission is €5 for adults and €3 for children up to 1.40 metres, skates can be hired on site for €4; payment is cash only.
3.1 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · Good with children Website Opening hours
-
Schierker Feuerstein Arena ice rink Ice skating · Wernigerode (Schierke)
Under the arena's sweeping membrane roof in the lower village of Schierke you can skate in winter on an artificial rink of about 25 by 56 metres, with ice discos, a skating school, stick-and-puck sessions and ice stock sport; skates can be hired on site. The ice season runs from late November to around March (2026/27 is due to start on 28 November, according to the arena); park in the Am Winterbergtor multi-storey car park, from where a step-free path leads through the spa park to the arena. If you stay overnight in Wernigerode, you receive the Wernigerode-Ticket on arrival; with it a single ticket costs €5.50 instead of €6.00 (arena prices as of September 2026).
12 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Opening hours
-
Braunlage ice stadium Ice skating · Braunlage
The roofed ice stadium on Harzburger Straße in Braunlage has a 60 by 30 metre rink and can be used in any weather: public skating is Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays), with an ice disco on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. You can hire skates in sizes 23 to 50 on site, children get free skating aids, and there is ice stock sport for groups, home games of the Harzer Falken ice hockey team and a restaurant overlooking the ice; the skating season runs roughly from September to April.
17 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · Good with children Website Opening hours
Cinema
Cinemas for rainy days and evenings, with the distance from the nearest of our towns.
Cinema
-
Volkslichtspiele cinema, Wernigerode Cinema · Wernigerode
This cinema, more than 100 years old and housed in a half-timbered building a few minutes' walk from the market square, shows new releases in four small auditoriums with 20 to 164 seats, one of them a family room with beanbags for children; the popcorn is made fresh.
0.5 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year · 4 screens Website
-
Cineplex Goslar Cinema · Goslar
This cinema on the northern edge of Goslar shows new releases in 2D and 3D on 8 screens with more than 1,400 seats; the largest auditorium has 408 seats and a 120-square-metre screen, and there are D-Box motion seats; some films are also shown in the original language with subtitles.
10 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg · All year · 8 screens Website
-
Zuckerfabrik cinema park Cinema · Halberstadt
In the former sugar factory on Gröperstraße you can watch new releases, previews and classics on 7 screens with more than 1,600 seats, including 3D; the sugar factory complex also has a bowling centre.
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode · All year · 7 screens Website
Playgrounds
Public playgrounds around our houses, with the walk from the nearest one, and woodland, water and adventure playgrounds in the Harz. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Around Bad Harzburg
-
Spielplatz Am Güdecken Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Am Güdecken, Bad Harzburg Harlingerode · about 12 min on foot from An der Wolfswiese 16
-
Spielplatz Am Langenberg Playground
Public playground, for children up to 14. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Am Langenberg, Bad Harzburg Harlingerode · about 18 min on foot from An der Wolfswiese 16
-
Spielplatz An der Radau Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
An der Radau, Bad Harzburg Bündheim · about 6 min on foot from Bahnhofstraße 14
-
Spielplatz Burgstraße Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Burgstraße, Bad Harzburg (Innenstadt) · about 25 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20
-
Spielplatz Goslarsche Straße Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Goslarsche Straße, Bad Harzburg (Innenstadt) · about 20 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20
-
Spielplatz Parkstraße Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Parkstraße, Bad Harzburg (Innenstadt) · about 21 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20
-
Spielplatz Planstraße Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Bruchreihe, Bad Harzburg Harlingerode · about 23 min on foot from An der Wolfswiese 16
-
Spielplatz Schlewecke Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Kirchenbrink, Bad Harzburg Schlewecke · about 13 min on foot from Bahnhofstraße 14
-
Spielplatz Schlewecker Trift Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Schlewecker Trift, Bad Harzburg Schlewecke · about 7 min on foot from An der Wolfswiese 16
-
Spielplatz Silberbornstraße Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Silberbornstraße, Bad Harzburg Bündheim · about 6 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20
-
Spielplatz Stauffenbergstraße Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Stauffenbergstraße, Bad Harzburg Bündheim · about 10 min on foot from Badestraße 20
-
Spielplatz Waldhöhe Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Jahnring, Bad Harzburg (Innenstadt) · about 44 min on foot from Dr.-Heinrich-Jasper-Straße 20
Around Wernigerode
-
Eisenbahn-Spielplatz der Schmalspurbahn Playground
Public playground, for children up to 12, railway theme. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Unter den Zindeln, Wernigerode Harzblick · about 6 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a
-
Kinderspielplatz Lustgarten Playground
Public playground, for children up to 14. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Voßweg, Wernigerode Burgbreite · about 14 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29
-
Kinderspielplatz Mauergasse Playground
Public playground, for children up to 14. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Mauergasse, Wernigerode Stadtfeld · about 5 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29
-
Spielplatz Alte Brauerei Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Alte Brauerei, Wernigerode Harzblick · about 10 min on foot from Forckestraße 17
-
Spielplatz am Kastanienwäldchen Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Karl-Marx-Straße, Wernigerode Burgbreite · about 22 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29
-
Spielplatz Erbgrafenweg Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Erbgrafenweg, Wernigerode Nöschenrode · about 16 min on foot from Mühlental 11
-
Spielplatz Eulenburg Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Am Vorwerk, Wernigerode Nöschenrode · about 9 min on foot from Grüne Straße 29
-
Spielplatz Humboldtweg Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Humboldtweg, Wernigerode Hasserode · about 20 min on foot from Forckestraße 17
-
Spielplatz im Christianental Playground
Public playground, wheelchair accessible. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Christianental, Wernigerode Nöschenrode · about 17 min on foot from Mühlental 11
-
Spielplatz Im Stadtfelde Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Im Stadtfelde, Wernigerode Stadtfeld · about 10 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a
-
Spielplatz Lindenallee Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Lindenallee, Wernigerode Stadtfeld · about 9 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a
-
Spielplatz Mettewiese Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Mettewiese, Wernigerode Nöschenrode · about 10 min on foot from Mühlental 11
-
Spielplatz Nicolaiplatz Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Nicolaiplatz, Wernigerode Stadtfeld · about 5 min on foot from Albert-Bartels-Straße 30/30a
-
Spielplatz Sägemühlengasse Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Sägemühlengasse, Wernigerode Harzblick · about 6 min on foot from Forckestraße 17
Around Vienenburg
-
Liethberger Spielplatz Playground
Public playground, partly wheelchair accessible. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Theodor-Heuss-Straße, Goslar Vienenburg · about 24 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11
-
Matschanlage Playground
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Steinweg, Goslar Vienenburg · about 12 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11
-
Raketenspielplatz Playground
Public playground, partly wheelchair accessible. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Wilhelmstraße, Goslar Vienenburg · about 13 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11
-
Spielplatz am Vienenburger See Playground
Public playground, partly wheelchair accessible. Details from OpenStreetMap.
Schachtweg, Goslar Vienenburg · about 18 min on foot from Osterwiecker Straße 11 Website
Woodland, water and adventure playgrounds in the Harz
-
Waldspielgelände am Nationalpark Playground · Bad Harzburg (Innenstadt)
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
5.2 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
Waldspielplatz Drübeck Playground · Ilsenburg · Drübeck
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
5.2 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
-
Wasserspielplatz im Ilsetal Playground · Ilsenburg
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
8.2 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
-
Berg-Erlebniswelt Playground · Braunlage
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
15 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
-
Wasserspielplatz am Liebesbankweg Playground · Goslar · OS Hahnenklee-Bockswiese
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
15 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg Website
-
Spielplatz am Waldseebad Playground · Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
16 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
Spielplatz am NaturErlebnisPark Lerbach Playground · Osterode am Harz · Clausthal, Forst-Osterode
Public playground, for children up to 14. Details from OpenStreetMap.
22 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
Abenteuerspielplatz Sieber Playground · Herzberg am Harz
Public playground. Details from OpenStreetMap.
24 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
Harz legends
Legends from the Harz to read aloud, and the places where they are set. On the map a legend figure stands at each of these places: tap it to open its story.
Bode valley and Thale
-
Brunhilde and the Roßtrappe Harz legend · Thale
How a princess leapt across the whole Bode valley on her horse.
Read the legend
Long ago there lived a king's daughter, Princess Brunhilde; in the oldest records her name is Emma. The giant Bodo wanted to marry her, but she did not want to marry him. So Bodo chased her on his horse, through forests and over mountains, all the way to the Harz.
Suddenly Brunhilde found herself at the edge of a deep gorge. Far below roared the river Bode, a tall rock rose up on the other side, and behind her she could already hear Bodo's horse snorting. Bravely she spurred her horse on – and it leapt right across the valley! It landed on the far side so hard that its hoof sank deep into the stone.
Brunhilde was safe. Only her golden crown slipped from her head during the jump and sank into the river. And Bodo? He did not make the jump.
Where you can see it today
On the Roßtrappe rock high above the Bode valley near Thale, the hoof print can still be seen in the granite today. You can walk up or take the chairlift from Thale. Opposite lies the Hexentanzplatz, where Brunhilde is said to have started her jump.
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Roßtrappe” (in German) · Brothers Grimm, German Legends no. 318 (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
-
Bodo and the Crown in the Bode Harz legend · Thale
Why a black dog guards a golden crown deep in the river Bode.
Read the legend
What became of the giant Bodo? When Brunhilde leapt across the Bode valley, he chased after her in a blind rage. But he did not make the jump and plunged down into the deep whirlpool of the river. Ever since, the river has carried his name: the Bode.
Bodo himself was turned into a big black dog. Deep down in the water he now has to guard the golden crown that Brunhilde lost during her jump, so that nobody can fetch it up. The spot used to be called the Kreetpfuhl, meaning the devil's pool; today it is known as the Bodekessel.
At midnight, people say, you can sometimes hear his muffled howling in the distance. And according to the legend, the crown is still lying down there today.
Where you can see it today
A hiking trail of about ten kilometres leads through the Bode valley between Thale and Treseburg; in winter it is usually closed. Along the way lies the Bodekessel, a pothole below a small waterfall, a few dozen metres above the Teufelsbrücke (Devil's Bridge).
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Roßtrappe” (in German) · Wikipedia “Bodetal” (in German) · Brothers Grimm, German Legends no. 318 (in German) · Otmar, Volcks-Sagen (1800): Die Roßtrappe (in German) · Kuhn und Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche (1848), Nr. 193 (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
19 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
-
The Witches' Dance Floor Harz legend · Thale
Where the witches rested before Walpurgis Night on their way to the Brocken.
Read the legend
High above the Bode valley, opposite the Roßtrappe, lies a rocky plateau with a wide view: the Hexentanzplatz, the Witches' Dance Floor. It used to be called the Devil's Dance Floor, too. According to an old tradition from Drübeck, the witches gather here on the evening before the first of May and rest before flying on to the Brocken. They ride on billy goats, on oven forks and in carriages drawn by four ducks.
Another old story explains where the name comes from: a king's daughter was surrounded here by her pursuers. Before she dared the great leap across the valley on her horse, she danced one last time, as if it were her wedding day. That, they say, is how the rock got its name. Then she jumped and landed safely on the other side.
Where you can see it today
A cable car runs up to the Hexentanzplatz from Thale, or you can hike up. At the top stands the Walpurgishalle with large paintings of Walpurgis Night, and every year on 30 April Walpurgis is celebrated here.
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Hexentanzplatz (Harz)” (in German) · Wikipedia “Walpurgishalle” (in German) · Brothers Grimm, German Legends no. 318 (in German) · Brothers Grimm, German Legends no. 189 (in German) · Kuhn und Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche (1848) (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
20 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
-
The Cockerel and the Devil's Wall Harz legend · Weddersleben
How a single cock-crow cost the Devil his wall.
Read the legend
Legend has it that the Devil once wanted to share the world with Christ. Christ was to have the Harz, and the Devil wanted the flat land. So that the border could be seen clearly, the Devil wanted to build a wall along it. Christ agreed, but everything had to be finished before the cock crowed.
The Devil worked hard. Towards morning only a single stone was missing, and he was just carrying it over. Then the cockerel crowed! In a fury the Devil hurled the great blocks of stone about, and that is how they lie to this day.
That is why the Devil's Wall is still unfinished. The legend was written down in 1848 as a shepherd from Suderode told it.
Where you can see it today
Near Weddersleben, close to Thale, the Devil's Wall stands as a row of steeply tilted rocks of hard sandstone that was laid down long ago in the sea of the Cretaceous period; the best known are the Königstein and the Mittelsteine. It has been a nature reserve since 1935, today called “Teufelsmauer und Bode nordöstlich Thale”. Climbing is forbidden, you must stay on the paths, and eagle owls breed in the rocks.
Freely retold from Kuhn und Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche (1848), Nr. 194 (in German) · Pröhle, Harzsagen (1886), Nr. 29 (in German) · Behrens, Hercynia Curiosa (1703) (in German) · Wikipedia “Teufelsmauer (Harz)” (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
22 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
Brocken and Ilse valley
-
Walpurgis Night on the Brocken Harz legend · Brocken
The great witches' party on the night before the first of May.
Read the legend
The Brocken is the highest mountain in the whole of northern Germany, and many people still call it the Blocksberg. One of the best-known legends of the Harz is told about it: on Walpurgis Night, the night from 30 April to 1 May, the witches are said to meet up here for a great party. They come flying in from every side, on broomsticks and oven forks, on billy goats, calves, ducks and geese and even on butter churns, and dance and celebrate on the summit.
The poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described this witches' procession in his famous play 'Faust' and made the legend even more famous. No wonder the witches feel at home here: the Brocken has fog on more than 300 days a year – a perfect hiding place for witches.
Where you can see it today
The Brocken Railway runs up the mountain from Wernigerode, or you can hike up, for example from Schierke. Today Walpurgis Night is celebrated in more than 20 places in the Harz, such as Thale, Schierke, Braunlage and Sankt Andreasberg.
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Brocken” (in German) · Praetorius, Blockes-Berges Verrichtung (1668) (in German) · Behrens, Hercynia Curiosa (1703) (in German) · Gottschalck, Der Hexentanz auf dem Brocken (1814) (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
12 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
The Brocken Spectre Optical phenomenon · Brocken
A giant ghost in the fog – and who it really is.
Read the legend
Imagine standing on the Brocken, the sun behind you and fog ahead – suddenly a huge dark ghost appears, sometimes with a coloured ring of light around its head! That is the Brocken spectre. The naturalist Johann Esaias Silberschlag saw it on the Brocken in autumn 1751 and described it in 1779 and 1780. He called it “a terrible ghost” and explained it as a shadow on the fog.
The secret: the ghost is your own shadow! It falls on countless tiny droplets, and with nothing in the fog to compare it with, it looks enormous. Raise your arm and the ghost waves back. The colourful ring is called a glory. The Brocken has fog at times on more than 300 days a year, yet the spectre is rare: the sun must be low behind you and the fog in front of you.
Where you can see it today
The Brocken spectre can appear wherever the sun is behind you and there is fog or cloud in front of you, but it is especially common on the Brocken. You can get up there on the Brocken Railway from Wernigerode or on foot.
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Brockengespenst” (in German) · Silberschlag, Beschreibung des Brockenbergs (1779) (in German) · Silberschlag, Geogenie (1780) (in German) · Deutscher Wetterdienst, Der Brocken – eine meteorologische Ausnahmeerscheinung (2017) (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
12 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
Kobolz, the Light of the Witches' Altar Harz legend · Brocken
A kind of light that comes out from under the Witches' Altar.
Read the legend
At the top of the Brocken there are two strange groups of rocks: the Hexenaltar, the Witches' Altar, and right next to it the Teufelskanzel, the Devil's Pulpit. Several Brocken legends are told about them. Heinrich Pröhle, who collected legends in the Harz more than 150 years ago, wrote down that on the first of May you can see broomsticks, cats and dogs at the Witches' Altar, and grown-ups dancing with torches.
And people told each other something else: beneath the Witches' Altar there is said to be an underground passage. Now and then a kind of light comes out from under it. People gave it a name: Kobolz. The word comes from Kobold, a goblin; in northern Germany "Kobolz schießen" also means turning a somersault. What the light looks like and what it wants, the legend does not tell.
Where you can see it today
The Witches' Altar and the Devil's Pulpit stand at the edge of the Brocken summit in the Harz National Park, right by the Brocken circular trail at information board 5. You may not walk over to them or climb them, because in the national park you must stay on the paths. You can see them well from the circular trail.
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Hexenaltar” (in German) · Wikipedia “Teufelskanzel (Brocken)” (in German) · Pröhle, Unterharzische Sagen (1856), Nr. 315 (in German) · Nationalpark Harz, Der Brocken im Nationalpark Harz (2020) (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
12 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
Princess Ilse of the Ilsestein Harz legend · Ilsenburg
The princess in the rock and the charcoal burner with the heavy knapsack.
Read the legend
In the Ilse valley near Ilsenburg a mighty granite rock rises up: the Ilsestein. According to legend, the beautiful Princess Ilse lives inside it. Very early every morning she opens the rock and bathes in the river that bears her name. Only a few people ever get to see her.
Once, early in the morning, she met a charcoal burner who greeted her kindly. She beckoned him to the rock, took his knapsack inside and brought it back full. 'Don't open it until you are home!' she said. But the knapsack was so heavy that on the bridge over the Ilse the charcoal burner grew curious and peeked inside. He saw nothing but acorns and pine cones and crossly tipped them into the river. Then something jingled – it was gold! Luckily, enough was left in the corners of the knapsack to make him rich all the same.
Where you can see it today
The Ilsestein rises a good two kilometres south of Ilsenburg in the Harz National Park. From the summit with its iron cross you can look down into the Ilse valley and across to the Brocken. Down in the valley the Ilse rushes along, and further up it tumbles over the Ilse Falls – perhaps the princess is bathing there right now.
Freely retold from Brothers Grimm, German Legends no. 316 (in German) · Otmar, Volcks-Sagen (1800): Ilse, oder die Bewohnerin des Ilsensteins (in German) · Wikipedia “Ilsestein” (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 18 minutes, in German
8.9 km as the crow flies from Wernigerode
Upper Harz
-
Hübich, King of the Dwarves Harz legend · Bad Grund
The little king with the magic beard and the silver pine cones.
Read the legend
According to legend, dwarves once lived inside the Hübichenstein, a limestone rock near Bad Grund. Their ruler was the dwarf king Hübich: a small old man, as shaggy-haired as a bear, with an ice-grey beard down to his chest. There was magic in his beard.
Hübich was good to poor people, but anyone who bothered him soon regretted it. Once he gave a poor miner's wife pine cones made of pure silver. There was only one thing he would not put up with: people climbing onto his rock. A forester's son who did it anyway was held fast up there as punishment.
When imperial soldiers shot the tip off the great Hübichenstein with cannons during the Thirty Years' War, Hübich was never seen again. In Bad Grund you still meet him today: as a fountain figure, on the signpost in the centre and in street names.
Where you can see it today
The Hübichenstein stands a good kilometre north of Bad Grund beside the Harz high road (Harzhochstraße). A steep staircase leads up the smaller of its two rock pinnacles to a viewpoint; a large bronze eagle sits on the higher one, the remains of a monument to Emperor Wilhelm I. Climbing the rock has been forbidden since 2007. On 30 April, Walpurgis Night is celebrated at the foot of the rock.
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Hübichenstein” (in German) · Harrys, Volkssagen, Märchen und Legenden Niedersachsens (1840) (in German) · Kuhn und Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen (1848), Nr. 218 (in German) · Pröhle, Harzsagen (1854): Der Zwergkönig Hibich (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 15 minutes, in German
23 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
The Wild Man of Wildemann Harz legend · Wildemann
How a Wild Man gave a mining town its name.
Read the legend
When the first miners made their way from Zellerfeld into the wild, lonely valley of the river Innerste, legend says they saw a Wild Man. He lived there in the forest together with a Wild Woman. Both wore caps of moss and belts of leaves, and the man carried a fir tree as a club. When people called to them, they did not understand.
The miners caught the Wild Man. He spoke not a word, ate nothing and died on the way to the duke in Brunswick. On the day the news of his death arrived, they found the first rich silver ore. Where they had caught him, they planted a linden tree, built their houses and named the place after him: Wildemann.
From 1539 the dukes of Brunswick even had the Wild Man, holding a tree, stamped on their silver coins.
Where you can see it today
The small mining town of Wildemann lies deep in the Innerste valley and is now part of Clausthal-Zellerfeld. In front of the old town hall, a linden tree and a bronze figure recall the Wild Man. At the 19-Lachter-Stollen visitor mine a guided tour takes you about 500 metres into the mountain.
Freely retold from Wikipedia “Wildemann” (in German) · Wikipedia “Wilder Mann” (in German) · Ey, Harzmärchenbuch (1862): Wildemann (in German) · Kuhn und Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche (1848), Nr. 211 (in German) · Herzog August Bibliothek, Der Wilde Mann von Wolfenbüttel (2020) (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 40 minutes, in German
19 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
-
The Mountain Monk Harz legend · Sankt Andreasberg
The giant spirit with the miner's lamp who helped two miners.
Read the legend
Two miners always worked together deep underground. One day they noticed that the oil in their lamps would not last until the end of their shift! Then a light came towards them along the dark tunnel. It was an enormous man in a monk's habit, carrying a mighty miner's lamp: the Mountain Monk.
'Do not be afraid,' he said, and he poured oil from his lamp into theirs. Then he took their tools and did more work in one hour than both of them would in a whole week. Before leaving, he struck the rock wall, and behind it a tunnel full of gold and silver shimmered. Dazzled, the miners looked away – and it was all gone.
But their lamp oil never ran out again, as long as they kept the secret. Only when they told the story at the inn years later did the magic oil disappear.
Where you can see it today
The Mountain Monk is said to have haunted the mines of the Harz, including the Samson mine (Grube Samson) in Sankt Andreasberg. Its man engine (Fahrkunst) from 1837 has survived there: a lift made of wire ropes with footboards that move up and down. According to the mine, it is the last one in the world still in working order.
Freely retold from Brothers Grimm, German Legends no. 3 (in German) · Wikipedia “Grube Samson” (in German) · Kuhn und Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche (1848), Nr. 219 (in German) · Grube Samson, Die Fahrkunst (2026) (in German)
Full legend and audio story (in German) Audio story 28 minutes, in German
20 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
Goslar and Bad Harzburg
-
Knight Ramm and the Rammelsberg Harz legend · Goslar
How Knight Ramm's horse scraped the ore of the Rammelsberg out of the ground.
Read the legend
Over a thousand years ago, the legend says, Emperor Otto lived at the Harzburg castle, which gave Bad Harzburg its name, and hunted in the Harz. One of his best huntsmen was Ramm, today also called Knight Ramm.
One day he chased game west of the castle. The slope grew so steep that he tied his horse to a tree and followed on foot. Impatiently the horse stamped and scraped the ground with its front hooves.
When Ramm returned, he was amazed: his horse had uncovered a vein of ore! Ore is rock containing metals like silver, copper and lead. Ramm brought some to the emperor. Digging began at once, and plenty of ore was found. In Ramm's honour the mountain was named Rammelsberg. And the nearby town, the story goes, is named after Ramm's wife Gosa: Goslar.
Where you can see it today
The Rammelsberg rises on the southern edge of Goslar. For more than 1,000 years miners dug ore out of the mountain, until the mine closed in 1988. Today it is a museum and visitor mine and, together with Goslar's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the Röder adit you can see the big water wheels that once pumped water out of the mine and hauled the ore up.
Freely retold from Brothers Grimm, German Legends no. 469 (in German) · Wikipedia “Rammelsberg” (in German) · Wikipedia “Bad Harzburg” (in German) · Merian und Zeiller, Topographia Braunschweig Lüneburg (1654): Rammelsberg (in German)
8.6 km as the crow flies from Bad Harzburg
Cycling & mountain biking
Signposted mountain bike trails, cycle paths and bike parks around our towns.
Mountain bike
H1 Spitzenberg Klippen-Tour easy · 16 km
From the Burgberg cable car valley station you climb on gravel and ride through deciduous forest past two quarries to viewpoints such as the Brockenblick hut; if you feel unsure, better push your bikes down the steep Ahrendsberger Stieg back to Bad Harzburg.
Start: Bad HarzburgWebsite
H5 Klippentrail moderate · 23 km
This loop combines short, punchy but rideable singletrails with long gravel sections along the Ecker; at the Radau waterfall you carry your bikes for a short stretch.
Start: Bad HarzburgWebsite
H6 Torfhaus-Tour difficult · 43 km
From Bad Harzburg you climb over changing surfaces and steep sections up to Torfhaus, then descend a long way to the Oker reservoir and return steeply via the Brockenblick shelter.
Start: Bad HarzburgWebsite
W1 Rund um Wernigerode easy · 24 km
After a longer climb to Drei Annen you roll a long way downhill through the Kalte Tal valley; the loop is technically and physically easy and suitable for families.
Start: WernigerodeWebsite
W3 Die Harz-Wald-Tour moderate · 33 km
The loop from Ilsenburg (you can also join in Wernigerode) offers views over the Harz foreland along the edge of the mountains, then climbs for a longer stretch to Drei Annen Hohne and returns almost entirely downhill past the Hohenstein cliffs and the Ottofelsen rock; technically it is easy.
Start: IlsenburgWebsite
G1 Granestausee-Tour easy · 22 km
This easy loop from Goslar station runs mostly on tarmac along the edge of the Harz and around the Grane reservoir and also suits trekking bikes.
Start: GoslarWebsite
B1 Höhenfieber moderate · 26 km
The loop runs through the high Harz near the former inner-German border, past the Wurmberg and the Achtermannshöhe, and a detour to the Hahnenklee cliff with its view into the Oder valley is worthwhile; the short trail sections are technically easy.
Start: BraunlageWebsite
B4 Gipfelstürmer-Tour Brocken difficult · 57 km
This strenuous day tour takes you over the Wurmberg up the Brocken, on to the Ecker reservoir and back via Torfhaus, with steep tarmac climbs and a rough descent from the Brocken on a concrete-slab track.
Start: BraunlageWebsite
Cycle path
Europaradweg R1: Goslar – Wernigerode 39 km
This stage of the R1 European cycle route runs from the Imperial Palace in Goslar along the northern edge of the Harz through Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg to the market square in Wernigerode, with wide views over the Harz foreland.
Start: GoslarWebsite
Radroute am Grünen Band im nördlichen Harzvorland easy · 70 km
The loop of about 70 kilometres crosses the flat Harz foreland along the former inner-German border, passing through Vienenburg with Germany's oldest surviving railway station building; where the route crosses the former border, boards tell you about sights, plants and animals.
Start: VienenburgWebsite
Holtemme-Radweg Wernigerode – Halberstadt easy · 23 km
The cycle path follows the Holtemme river from Wernigerode via Minsleben, Silstedt and Derenburg to Halberstadt mostly on gravel and concrete-slab tracks and through the villages, with only about 100 metres of climbing in total.
Start: WernigerodeWebsite
Bike park
Bikepark Braunlage am Wurmberg Braunlage
The Wurmberg cable car takes you and your bikes up to about 970 metres, from where four largely natural trails with jumps, wooden features and rock gardens lead down to the valley, and every obstacle has a bypass.
Bikepark Hahnenklee Goslar-Hahnenklee
The chairlift carries you and your bikes up the Bocksberg, where a beginners' flow trail with bypasses around every obstacle starts alongside freeride and downhill trails for experienced riders.
Bikepark St. Andreasberg (MSB-X-Trail) Sankt Andreasberg
At the Matthias-Schmidt-Berg the chairlift takes you up and nine trails lead down, from an easy flow trail and a kids' trail for five- to ten-year-olds to a jump line and freeride and downhill runs with big jumps.
Racepark Schulenberg Schulenberg im Oberharz
An anchor T-bar lift pulls you up the Wiesenberg, and the seven trails, from a flow trail of almost 3.5 kilometres to downhill and big jump lines, are aimed mainly at experienced riders; the park opens at weekends and on public holidays.
Bikepark Bodetal Thale
The chairlift takes you and your bikes up to the Rosstrappe, and five trails lead down into the Bode valley over tables, doubles and steep berms, from the easy Harzer Roller and Bodopass runs to the difficult Schwarze Köhlerliesel; the Rosstrappendownhill race is held here at the end of September.