Discover Germany | Travel | Destination of the Month
Left: Evening atmosphere in Quedlinburg. Photo: © Juergen Meusel
DESTINATION OF THE MONTH
Top right: A trip with the traditional Harz Narrow Gauge Railway. Photo: © Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH, Dirk Bahnsen
Harz Mountains Breathtaking nature in the heart of Germany
Below right: Family trip to the museum and exhibition mine Rammelsberg Photo: © HTV, M. Gloger
The legendary mountain region Harz offers almost everything a visitor, and especially families, are looking for in an attractive holiday destination: cultural sites of world class, unique adventures in untouched nature and a vast range of leisure activities. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE
With 9,000 kilometres of trails, this area is a true hiking paradise for nature lovers. The ‘Harzer-Hexen-Stieg‘ is one of ‘Germany’s top trails’ and promises a hike over several days with around 100 kilometres across the diverse Harz landscape: Dark, dense spruce forests, swampy, misty cliffs and summits on light-flooded plateaus, colourful blossoming mountain meadows, gently murmuring creeks and vibrant deciduous forests. Be it the ‘Teufelsstieg’ over the ‘Knochenbrecher’ (bone crusher) or the Ilse valley with its Heinrich-HeinePath, the climb to the Brocken (at 1,141 metres, the highest mountain in northern Germany) is an integral part of most holidays in the Harz Mountains. 56 | Issue 62 | May 2018
Aside from the hiking opportunities there are various other adventurous outdoor activities on offer, such as the fast summer toboggan run, the Megazipline, wall-running, the suspension bridge TITAN RT, the challenging climbing parks and the cableways. Whatever your preference, it certainly will not get boring. Even mountain bike fans can look forward to real adventures in the Harz region, thanks to 2,200 kilometres of signposted routes with various levels of difficulty. Centuries of culture up close In order to get the full picture of the Harz Mountains, visitors have to explore its culture and history. Castles and
forts tell stories of long lost glory. Knight tournaments and medieval festivals take visitors back in time. A variety of museums explore history, craftsmanship and technology in an exciting way and encourage guests to explore, discover and try out. During a trip with the traditional Harz Narrow Gauge Railway, engineering comes alive. The impressive steam engines run through the romantic Selke valley, the southern part of the Harz, or wind through the national park, Harz, up to the highest summit, the Brocken. It is an exciting train ride experience, just like it was a hundred years ago. And if that is not enough already, there are three UNESCO World Heritage sites out of their 41 listed cultural and nature sites in Germany with ‘outstanding universal value’. 26 years ago, UNESCO named the former ore mine, Rammelsberg, and the old town of Goslar as world heritage sites of mankind. With the Rammelsberg