Brocken, 1,141 m (3,743 ft) above sea level is the highest summit in the Harz mountains and in the northern part of Germany. Brocken is the German word for boulder and when you see the mountain you realise where the name comes from, as the mountain rises like a cake above the landscape. Show
Understand[edit]The sensitive, ecologically valuable Brocken massive is protected and part of the Harz National Park. Staying on the marked roads and paths is mandatory - you may not walk around in the woods wherever you like. The mountain is visited by around 1.4 million tourists every year, and the trip up and the views are often the high point on a trip to the Harz. Popular ways of getting to the summit are on foot or by the historical Brockenbahn steam train from Wernigerode or Nordhausen to Drei Annen Hohne and on to the Brocken. However, be aware that the mountain is shrouded in clouds for about 300 days a year and at those times the amazing views are covered up. To enjoy them you need some luck or be prepared to adjust your travel plans quickly according to weather conditions. History[edit]The Wolkenhäuschen. The first small mountain hut that was built already in 1736.Brocken-Benno Benno Schmidt (born in 1932) from Wernigerode, nicknamed Brocken-Benno, has as of 2022 climbed Brocken more then 8000 times. This huge number of climbs is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and he has received several awards including the federal decoration of Germany, the Bundesverdienstkreuz in 2020.
As a kind of Alpine island, the mountain has since the end of the last ice age been a retreat for some animals and plants that one would otherwise encounter in the high mountains. The first scientific book about the plants of the Harz, Sylva Hercynia: sive catalogus plantarum sponte nascentium in montibus & locis plerisque Hercyniae Sylvae quae respicit Saxoniam, was written by physician Johannes Thal from Nordhausen in 1577. Unlike other flora books of the day, it described all the flora, not just medical plants. In the 19th century Brocken had become a popular destination, and hikers were commonly given a bouquet of Brocken flowers by the inn owners as a farewell gift. This meant the hillsides were often emptied of flowers, and many flowers went extinct. Nowadays picking flowers is prohibited as the area is a national park. If you're interested in the Alpine flora of the mountain, take a guided tour through the Brockengarten park. Some iconic flowers of the Brocken include:
Several animal species have adapted to the conditions of life on the Brocken. For example, the water pipit (Anthus aquaticus) and the ring ouzel both breed in the area around the summit. The viviparous lizard occurs on the Brocken in a unique, dark-coloured variant, Lacerta vivipara aberr. negra. The common frog (Rana temporaria) can also be found here. Insects are very numerous. There are many beetles, including ground beetles such as Amara erratica, and hundreds of species of butterfly. The cabbage white here produces only one generation per year compared with two in the lowlands. Some mammal and bird species that occur here are relics of the ice age, including the northern bat (Eptesicus nilssonii), the alpine shrew (Sorex alpinus) and the ring ouzel. Climate[edit]The top part of the mountain has a harsh Subalpine climate, and the tree line goes at 1110 m. The location in the Middle German mountains, the easy access from Wernigerode and by the Brockenbahn often cause visitors to underestimate the mountain and its risks. Brocken has an extreme microclimate influencing the weather conditions, which can change quickly just like in the Alps. In the summer heavy thunderstorms and storm winds may emerge quickly. In the winter there are frequent snow storms dropping large amounts of snow that can block roads and make hikers lose orientation. Another risk during the winter is ice falling off the masts and buildings. As a hiker, you should always take along weather-resistant clothing and sturdy shoes and follow the weather forecasts. Also consult the Stay safe section in this article, especially if you're an unexperienced hiker. On the summit there's an information sign describing the weather conditions. Weather averages from 1960–1980:
Weather extremes since 1895, when record keeping was started:
If you have a lot of luck, you can see a Brocken spectre on a cloudy or foggy day. It's an optical illusion composed of your own shadow cast on clouds, but the shadow is huge and often surrounded by halos. Current weather and forecasts[edit]Other modes than hiking, which has its own section right below. By road[edit]From Schierke, the Brockenstraße circulates the mountain up to the summit. Private motorised vehicles are banned on the road though it is open to bikers and pedestrians. Pedestrians have the right of way, and on days when there are lot of pedestrians it can be challenging to ride a bike. There are also horse carriages transporting tourists up the mountain from Schierke, as well as guided Segway tours but riding your own electric ride is not allowed in the national park. If you come by car, there are parking lots in Schierke, Torfhaus or Oderbrück near the B4 highway, or at all railway stations. By train[edit]Steam train on the Brockenbahn going up the mountainThe Brockenbahn is a narrow gauge (1000 mm) railway used by steam trains operated by Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB). In 2011 about half of the visitors to Brocken used the railway. It starts at Drei Annen Hohne, 540 m ASL (has a parking lot), and the 19 km-trip up to the Brocken station, 1125 m ASL takes about 50 minutes. Drei Annen Hohne is on the Harzquerbahn between Wernigerode and Nordhausen, and steam trains also operate on this railway. There are through trains from Wernigerode to Brocken taking one hour and 40 minutes. From Nordhausen you usually have to change trains in Eisfelder Talmühle and Drei Annen Hohne, and the trip will take around three and a half hour. The ticket price (known as Brockentarif) to Brocken or back down is the same, no matter where you get on (or off) the train. If you come by car, it's a bad idea to drive to Schierke (the last station before Brocken) as there aren't enough parking space for the demand. Instead you can board the train for instance in Wernigerode at the same price. The Brockentarif as of Nov 2022:
By horse[edit]As mentioned above, you can travel up the mountain in a horse-pulled carriage. The trip from Schierke takes about two hours. Some companies offering such trips: By bike[edit]On the way in Ilse Valley, at the lower Ilse falls, towards Brocken. The route from the north is a beautiful trip onto the Brocken.More details about the routes in the Hike section Brockenstraße from Schierke[edit]The paved road is the only way to ride a racing bicycle to the Brocken, and the best and easiest route for touring bikes. The Brockenstrasse was renovated between 2008 and 2011. Between Schierke and Gelber Brink/Ilsenburger Chaussee on 900 m altitude the route was paved anew. Bikers don't need to worry about the road, but there are often a lot of hikers and sometimes gravel chunks. Further up the road was patched up, and there are even more hikers. There are also horses and carts carrying tourists on the road. As a biker approaching hikers you should ring the bell early, pass them at a moderate speed and at enough distance. As a pedestrian, don't block the road by walking side by side. If you're walking a dog, keep it at short leash. There's space for everybody if you take others into consideration. Through the romantic Ilsental from Ilsenburg or Bad Harzburg[edit]From Ilsenburg you can ride up Brocken on a touring bike, on the route is a gain in elevation of about 1000 m. The route between Ilsenburg and Brockenstrasse goes along good or decent gravel paths along the valley. The roaring Ilse will accompany you on the way. In the upper section it gets a bit steeper, and if you're on a bike without an electric motor you need to be quite fit. If you're riding an electric bike, it's good if it has a battery with a capacity of at least 500–600 Wh. There are two routes from Ilsenburg. The easier one goes through the forest along the Bremerweg to the Ilse Falls, past the Rote Brücke and Gelbe Brink where you will get on the Brockenstrasse. The more demanding route - the "Brocken Nordrampe" goes to Scharfenstein and along a rather steep road paved with concrete bricks to the summit. Here, a mountain bike with suspension and sturdy tires is recommended to climb the mountain comfortably, and going down would be unsafe as it's really steep at some places. This is a former border road, and there are more details about it in the Hike section below. From Bad Harzburg you can also get to the Brocken Nordrampe (following the route in #From Bad Harzburg over the Eckertalsperre and the Hirtenstieg). Beware that there is a long flight of stairs to get up a dam, and a section with tree roots on the path. From Torfhaus or Braunlage[edit]The relatively fine gravelled Goetheweg from Torfhaus is now also rideable by bikes in its entirety (the bike ban on the section along the railway was lifted in 2021). Much of it can be done on a touring bike, but the section at the Brockenbahn is covered by coarse concrete plates with some loose gravel on them here and there. When going downwards along that section, even mountain bikers should better get off and push their bikes. From Braunlage you can take the routes along the Grosse Bode described in #From Braunlage along Dreieckigen Pfahl, joining the Goetheweg along the road. The last part follows the paved Brockenstrasse. Fees and permits[edit]There are no fees or permits required, however you have to stay on the marked paths (see #Closed routes below). Don't go unprepared While this isn't exactly an expedition to Mount Everest, Brocken can still present some challenges that may come as a surprise especially to novice hikers. See the Stay safe section below to know what preparations you should make. A day hike to the Brocken is part of many peoples' journey to the Harz. If you're a beginner, it's best to start in Torfhaus of Schierke. Seasoned and fit hikers can also start the journey in places like Wernigerode, Ilsenburg, Bad Harzburg, Altenau, Braunlage or St. Andreasberg. Alternatively you can split the journey into two days and stay overnight at the summit. The routes in the national park are well signposted and you need to stay on them. Despite the good signage, it's good to bring a map for instance a printout from Openstreetmap. Goetheweg is one of the most popular hiking routes to the summitIn 1777, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe hiked in the Harz mountains arriving from Clausthal-Zellerfeld in Torfhaus and stayed at forester Degen. On 10 December, they walked up the mountain together. The very exact route is unknown but Goethe wrote down these notes about his trip: „Früh nach dem Torfhause in tiefem Schnee. 1 viertel nach 10 aufgebrochen, von da auf den Brocken. Schnee eine Elle tief, der aber trug. 1 viertel nach eins droben. Heiterer herrlicher Augenblick, die ganze Welt in Wolken und Nebel und oben alles heiter. Was ist der Mensch, dass du sein gedenkst. Um viere wieder zurück. Beim Förster auf dem Torfhause in Herberge.“(Early after the Torfhaus through deep snow. At quarter to ten we broke camp, from there we went up the Brocken. The snow was an elbow deep, but it carried us. Quarter past one we were up. It was a clear wonderful moment, the whole world in clouds and fog and above it everything clear. What is the human you think you are. Around four o clock back. Stayed at the foresters' in Torfhaus.)– Goethe: Schriften zur Geologie und MineralogieThis wasn't Goethe's only visit, he returned on 21 September 1783 and 3 September 1784. Nowadays around 250,000 people take the Goetheweg route to the summit. Get in: Start in Torfhaus at an elevation of 811 m: ca. 8.9 km (5.5 mi) distance, ca. 2–3 hr walking time, simple. The path is throughout widened to a width of 3 m. Where the path goes next to the rail tracks, biking is prohibited. Large parking lot. If you start at the small parking lot at the B4 highway on the road to the Ehrenfriedhof cemetery, the route is notably shorter with only 7.1 km (4.4 mi) to the summit. Ehrenfriedhof is next to the B4 between Torfhaus and Oderbrück. Somewhat further is the highest point reachable by car for a hike (around 830 m ASL), i.e. less altitude to cover to get to the summit. However if you start at the Ehrenfriedhof you won't pass the Nationalparkhaus nor the bog at the Grosse Torfhausmoor. Another downside is that parking space is limited and it's not cleaned during the winter. At these times you can only get there by bus – take bus 820 between Bad Harzburg Bhf and Braunlage and get off at Ehrenfriedhof. In the DB routeplanner the stop goes by the name "Oderbrück Ehrenfriedhof, St. Andreasberg". A comparatively bigger parking lot can be found in a bit further south in Oderbrück (790 m ASL) at the B4. From there the distance to the summit is 7.6 km. Go:
Knochenbrecherweg and -kurve[edit]Part of the Brocken map by Nehse 1849: The Knochenbrecherweg is denoted "alter Fahrweg" (old road)The name "Knochenbrecherkurve" (bone-breaker curve) dates from the times where horses were a common way for getting to the summit and before the current road (built in 1849 or earlier) was built. The old road went from this curve straight up to the summit. This section was extremely steep and went through rough terrain, horses frequently broke their bones here. In the 1950s the old road had grown over and wasn't recognizable any longer. In 2012 a local hiking club asked for the old road to be reconstructed for hikers, but the park authorities weren't too enthusiastic to carve up a path in a protected area. Moreover many visitors like seniors, families with small children and so on wouldn't be able to walk such a steep path safely. But if you want to experience an uncomfortable path here, head for the rocky Eckerlochstieg from Schierke, part of which is known as the "kneebreak". Some hiking history: Goetheweg throughout the ages[edit]As there is a new Goethe way neuen Goetheweg, some people will ask what happened to the old one? The answer is that the paths, just as the mountain itself, have changed over the centuries. If you have a look at for instance "Meyers Reisebuch" from 1901, there the historical Goetheweg is outlined: starting from the railway station, the path first crossed the railway, followed its steep routing uphill past the Hirschhornklippen (nowadays inaccessible). Then the path went along a log road through the Goethemoor bog, crossed the railway once more and went steeply straight up to the summit. As the mountain was closed to the public in 1961 and remained so for almost 30 years, the nature reclaimed the route. In 1989 when it again became possible to visit the mountain, the number of visitors grew quickly and new paths had to be created to cope with the number of visitors. In 1990 the new Goetheweg was built in the area of the former border wall along the Brockenbahn. As the new path didn't cross the railway, two potentially dangerous points for hikers were removed. The section next to the Goethemoor was also improved. There's a memorial stone to the construction of the new Goetheweg near the junction of the railway and Brockenstrasse. As years went by, the number of visitors grew and the path became more and more congested. In addition, the stairway built next to the railway was slippery when wet or snowy, and when there was plenty of snow, walking became impossible. Hikers often walked on the railway instead, as it was ploughed during the winter, which was dangerous. In 2008–2009 the Goetheweg was rebuilt; it got a gravel surface and was widened to 3 m throughout so that it can be ploughed and stay open around the year. The Eckerlochstieg: with a terrain like this it's no surprise that it carries the nickname Kniebreche – "kneebreak"The Gipefelrondell has been reached. At the amazing February day when the photo was taken, hikers were awarded by an overwhelming view far to the horizonGet in: Start in central Schierke, about 610 m ASL. Length of the walk about 6 km (3.7 mi), 2–2.5 hr of walking, easy, altitude gain about 530 m. Parking in Schierke costs. For this path you need sturdy shoes, like mountaineer boots, because the terrain is rocky. Walking sticks with adjustable length can also be a good idea to help you keep the balance. If you start from Schierke you can also use the Brockenstrasse, which in practice is car-free but can be busy with bikers and other hikers. In addition it's notably longer, 11 km in length. Alternative route to the Brockenstraße in Schierke: At the northern end of Schierke, stay on the sand path along the Warme Bode stream. To the right there's a bridge across the stream with the access path to Eckerlochstied (it's signposted). In maps the route is marked. The text below describes staying on the Brockenstrasse as this route is somewhat shorter. Go:
This route was used by poet Heinrich Heine in 1824 to descend from the mountain, he hiked up from Bad Harzburg (see below) and stayed overnight at the summit. Heine wrote the following about the upper end of the climb: "Wenn man die obere Hälfte des Brockens besteigt, muss man an die deutsche Nationaltragödie von Dr. Faust denken. Ich glaube, auch Mephisto muss mit Mühe Atem holen, wenn er seinen Lieblingsberg ersteigt, es ist ein äußerst erschöpfender Weg und ich war froh, als ich endlich das langersehnte Brockenhaus zu Gesicht bekam."("When one climbs the upper half of the Brocken, one has to thing about the German national tragedy of Dr. Faust. I believe that also Mephisto had to make an effort catching his breath when he climbed his favorite mountain, it's a very demanding way and I was happy to finally catch sight of the Brockenhaus.")– as per an info sign on the former border pathHeine wrote the following about his overnight stay at the summit: "Ich fand das Haus voller Gäste, und wie es einem klugen Manne geziemt, dachte ich schon an die Nacht, an die Unbehaglichkeit eines Strohlagers; mit hinsterbender Stimme verlangte ich gleich Tee, und der Herr Brockenwirt war vernünftig genug einzusehen, daß ich kranker Mensch für die Nacht ein ordentliches Bett haben müsse. Dieses verschaffte er mir in einem engen Zimmerchen, wo schon ein junger Kaufmann, ein langes Brechpulver in einem braunem Oberrock, sich etabliert hatte."("I found the inn was full of guests, and as a smart man, thinking about an uncomfortable night in the hay storage, I asked for some tea with a dying voice. The innkeeper was smart enough to understand that a sick man has to have a real bed for the night. He put me in a small room where already a young salesman in a brown coat had established himself")– Heinrich Heine: Die Harzreise, Verlag Philipp Reclam jun, Leipzig 1972, S. 46Get in: The itinerary starts at an altitude of about 300 m. The itinerary is about 10 km when starting from the Ilsetal parking lot, and about 13 km when starting from the Ilsenburg railway station. The path will follow the Ilse river valley and there are many pedestrian bridges enabling you to cross between the sides of the river. On the way in the Ilse Valley, just before "Bremer Hütte" (above the Ilse Falls, around 550 m ASL) – there's a view to the Brocken as storms have cleared the treesGo:
From Drei Annen Hohne along Glashüttenweg[edit]The easy route, around 12.5 km (7.8 mi) long, starts at the railway station 51.77160110.7293461 Drei Annen Hohne, the lower terminus of the Brockenbahn. The gain in elevation is about 600 m, and the path is gravelled, except for the last 4 km on Brockenstrasse which is paved. "The Wild Harz" - View from the Leistenklippe over the Grenzklippe to Brocken
If you return to Drei Annen Hohne and want to take an alternative way back, a few hundred metres after leaving Brockenstrasse and getting onto Glashüttenweg, there's a 51.78835910.6525654 junction with the Forstmeister Sielz-Weg. Turn left and walk towards Hohnekamm. This takes you to the mountain path "wilde Hohnekamm" going along cliffs. The highest of them is the 51.7816610.694235 Leistenklippe (901 m) with nice views of the valley below. From Hohnekopf, a bit further along the path, you can take smaller paths down to Trudenstein and the Glashüttenweg that you can walk back to Drei Annen Hohne. From Wernigerode along Holtemme[edit]View of the mountain stream Holtemme in the Steinerne RenneThe "Steinerne Renne" inn and HoltemmeThe source of the HoltemmeGet in: Start in Wernigerode at around 250 m ASL. The distance is about 17.5-18.5 km and takes 4-5 1/2 h. The conditions aren't particularly demanding but the distance means that hiking to the Brocken and back to Wernigerode is demanding - something for fit hikers on a long summer day. There is a 900 m gain in altitude. To "cheat" a little bit, you can take the Harzquerbahn to Steinerne Renne and save about 6 km of walking. There's also a guesthouse by the same name a few kilometres from the railway stop towards Brocken, if you want to stay overnight on the route and make it a two-day hike, or still better, you can stay at the summit as mentioned in the Sleep section - this will give you time for some sidetrips and if the weather is clear you can enjoy the sunset at Brocken (which is less crowded during the day). Yet another alternative is riding the Brockenbahn to the summit and hike down or vice versa. Go:
The path now gets rocky and steep but goes through a beautiful landscape along the Holtemme with views to the railway. Here the river is a mountain stream with many small waterfalls. If you prefer to walk along a forest road, take the Bielsteinchaussee east of the river, it too will take you to the guesthouse.
From the guesthouse, the path goes moderately uphill. After about 2 km the path (signposted with a red circle in a white triangle) merges into the beautiful forest path "Höllenstieg" (though the name translates to "hell climb"). On the right side of it, at about 650 m ASL is a small bog which is the source for the Holtemme. Over the following 250 metres, the path gets steeper again.
Once you've reached the Brockenstrasse, there are around four more kilometres along the paved road to the summit.
From Braunlage along Dreieckigen Pfahl[edit]The lower Bode fallsThe upper Bode fallsBärenbrücke rest areaDreieckiger Pfahl is a crossroads of many hiking routesThe three-sided border stone of the Dreieckiger PfahlSide view of the border stoneRest area at the Dreieckiger Pfahl and the old border areaView from the border area up to Köningsberg with Brockenbahn and the Goetheweg, it's about to get steeper soonGet in: This route starts in Braunlage at an altitude of 570 m ASL, next to the lower station for the cable car to Wurmberg. It's a moderate hike of 11.7 km with a altitude gain of 600 m. There's a big parking lot, with parking for a fee. If you arrive by bus, the nearest stop is at Trinitatiskirche, 7-10 minutes away on foot. This exact route isn't suitable for bikers as it follows the Neue Goetheweg next to the railway - where cycling is disallowed as per above. Some shortcuts are possible. You can take the Wurmbergseilbahn cable car up to Wurmberg, from where the hike will be around 9 km and the altitude gain of 350 m. You do have to descend a little from the Wurmberg, but not to the level wher you started at. From Wurmberg there are nice views to Brocken, which is 4.7 km away as the crow flies. Then, head northwest for a 2.5 km comfortable downhill hike (170 m downhill) along the western valley of Kalten Bode river. You will eventually meet up with the trail from Braunlage, at the junction at the inner-German border. If 25 km of hiking to Brocken and back to Braunlage seems too long, you can walk from Brocken to Torfhaus (8.5 km) or Oberbrück (8 km). From these places you can take the bus back to Braunlage. On the other hand, fit hikers can take the "Drei-Gipfel-Tour" (three summits' tour) visiting the three highest view mountains in Harz in one day. After climbing Wurmberg or Brocken as described below, backtrack along the path to Dreieckigen Pfahl, and take the hiking path signposted by a red circle on white background going southwest instead of southeast. This will first take you to the viewpoint Bodebruch with views of the bog that is the source of the Grosse Bode stream which you should follow. When there's a path leaving the stream, follow it, and then turn right again at the next crossing and walk up to Achtermannshöhe (925 m ASL). From its tree-free summit there are wonderful views to the surroundings including the two other mountains. Walk down the mountain along the path signposted by a red circle on white background to the Bärenbrücke rest area (ie. backtrack to Grosse Bode, and follow it), and follow the stream further to Braunlage. Go:
From Bad Harzburg over the Eckertalsperre and the Hirtenstieg[edit]"Brocken-Nordrampe" at the former border road. The mountain is callingView back to the EckertalsperreThe long-awaited view of the summit as seen from Kleine BrockenThe way from Bad Harzburg is not an easy one, but very rewarding. The varied route is about 14.5-15 km in length and you will gain about 1000 m in altitude. Get in If you drive to Bad Harzburg to take a day hike, the best place to park is at the 51.86682610.5567221 Big parking lot at the southern edge of town, next to highway B4. From here, cross the highway on a pedestrian bridge to get on a hiking path at the foot of Ettersberg. From here the hike is about 2 km shorter than from the railway station but it doesn't matter much because the section in the town doesn't include any uphill sections and you will regardless have about 1 km to climb. An easier and more varied alternative tour is to take the bus to Torfhaus, hike the Goetheweg up to Brocken and the Hirtenstieg and Eckertalsperre down - the route described below in reverse. There will be less gain in elevation for the uphill hike, and you will see the attractions of two different routes. Or you can do it the other way around, getting down along Goetheweg, and if you like you can walk down half the Goetheweg and along the Ecker river back towards Bad Harzburg (this trip would be around 20 km from Brocken to Bad Harzburg) - though such a trip would be better to split on two days with an overnight stay on the Brocken. Indeed, hiking up and back from Bad Harzburg along the route below (33-34 km and 1000 m gain in altitude) on the same day would just be something for fit hikers on a long summer day. For a more relaxed trip, stay overnight at the summit. Go:
Further along the eastern bank of the Ecktalsperre dam lake there are a lot of tree roots on the path. Pedestrians should watch their step, mountainbikers will have a lot of fun and riders of regular bikes should better push them. This kind of path will be the norm for the section to Scharfenstein. In a bigger path crossing you can see a larger meadow and the remains of the former cattle farm Scharfenstein. About 400 m further along the gravel road is the ranger station with the same name.
Winter hiking[edit]This is how Goethe saw Brocken at his winter hike from Torfhaus in 1777. It's not known exactly where he drew this sketch.Beautiful sunny winter weather with a few degrees below freezing and above all no or weak wind are the optimal conditions for a winter hike that can be an unforgettable experience. Especially during inversions (cold and moist air in the valleys and warmer air higher up) you can get blue clear skies with views to the horizon whereas it's cold and foggy in the valley below. This was known already in Goethe's time, two and a half centuries ago. The Brockenstrasse from Schierke is regularly plowed and sanded in the winter, as is the Goetheweg, and the Brockenbahn runs year-round too. It's also possible to begin a Goetheweg hike from the cemetery at Oberbrück. When hiking in the winter, beware that some hiking trails in the area that are kept open in the winter also double as skiing tracks. There are no winter sports facilities on Brocken itself. For example the skiing tracks in the Eckerspring area end just before the steep section of Goetheweg up to the Brockenbahn. It may be possible to do some Nordic skiing on the Goetheweg itself as well if there are little hikers. But as there are snow walls on the sides of the plowed path it's uncomfortable or impossible for hikers to dodge skiers. And the Brockenstrasse is sanded, so at least here you have to take off the skis and carry them if you want to get to the summit. Winter dream at the path around the summit. To the left is the weather station's tower. The small hut left of the weather station belongs to the Brockengarten that is "hibernating" behind the fenceClosed routes[edit]Route map with the strictly protected sections of Brocken in light green - also elsewhere in the Harz National Park you must stay on the pathsIf you take a look at old hiking maps from before WWII, you will see many hiking paths (particularly on the northern side of Brocken) that aren't described here. These routes have been closed by the authorities in order to protect the nature, together with all of Brocken itself except the few official routes described above and the summit plateau. These include the upper part of the historical Heinrich Heine-Weg, which on old maps may also be labeled Schneelochweg where snow could be spotted well into the summer. The closed areas act as a refuge for wood grouses, lynxes and other sensitive animals. Entering these areas is a crime and punishable by fines that can amount up to €25,000 according to Lower Saxony state law. You are unlikely to do so by accident, though. The closed routes aren't marked on maps (protected areas are generally a marked as such on maps), and inasfar they're still visible in the nature there are prohibition signs. Finally, the official routes are well signposted - follow those signs and you'll have nothing to worry about. Map of the summit and its attractionsAt good weather you can see all of Harz and far beyond it. In the southeast you can see the Kyffhäuser and by excellent weather conditions beyond it the Thuringian Forest (Thüringer Wald) mountain chain. In the west there are the Weserbergland heights including the Solling. In the southwest you can catch a glimpse of the mountains of Northern Hesse including the Hoher Meissner, Kaufunger Wald, Reinhardswald and Habichtwald. In the north and northwest you can see the cities of Brunswick and Magdeburg.
Gipfelrundweg[edit]Gipfelrundweg with view to WernigerodeThe East German authorities built a 3 m high wall around the summit, which was torn down at the reunification when the mountain reopened for civilians, and the route of the wall was turned into a walking path, the Gipfelrundweg (lit. "way around the summit"), about 1.6 km in length. There are good views around all of the mountain but the view to the north is particularly impresive. There are ten information signs along the route where you can learn more about the views, nature and culture. There are daily guided tours along the path (see the Brockengarten listing above).
Hiking and running events[edit]
There are three places you can buy souvenirs: in the Urian souvenir shop at the ground floor of the hotel, in Brockenhaus and at the Brockenwirt in the railway station. Eat and drink[edit]
In addition there's a restaurant (Goethesaal) and café (Hexenklause) in the hotel, which is operated by Brockenwirt. Finally the Brockenhaus museum has a small cafe (Hexenflug).
There's an ATM at the hotel, near the entrance. Public toilets are next to the Goethesaal of the hotel (fee: 50 cents). Connect[edit]There's 4G coverage on and around the Brocken , in addition the hotel offers guests free Wi-Fi. If you for instance want to send a traditional post card, there are post boxes at the railway station. Stay safe[edit]From some viewpoints in the high Harz, Brocken might look like a small forested hill you can just walk up with no preparationIn a nutshell: a safe, enjoyable and successful hike to the Brocken requires at least moderate fitness, good weather, suitable gear, snacks and enough time. Brocken is sometimes underestimated by hikers - it does not exactly appear like a rough high mountain environment but rather as a forested hill with good tourist infrastructure. However someone caught in sudden bad weather at for instance the exposed Hirtenstieg will disagree. The mountain is a very popular destination, also drawing visitors with little or no hiking experience who sometimes get into trouble because of ignorance and bad preparation. Beautiful winter view at the summit
Go next[edit]After visiting Brocken, your next destination would be one of the towns and cities the hiking routes above start/end in. This park travel guide to Brocken has guide status. It has a variety of good, quality information about the park including attractions, activities, lodging, campgrounds, restaurants, and arrival/departure info. Please contribute and help us make it a star! Wer wandert jeden Tag auf den Brocken?Normalerweise wandert "Brocken Benno" fast täglich bei Wind und Wetter auf den Harzgipfel - und hat es mit seinen Auf- und Abstiegen mehrfach ins Guinness-Buch der Rekorde geschafft.
Wie hieß der Brocken früher?Brockenplateau war ein Hochsicherheitstrakt
Der innere Ring auf dem Brockenplateau war ab 1961 sowjetisches Sperrgebiet, denn hier stand der westlichste Vorposten Moskaus, der Horchposten mit dem Tarnnamen "Jenissej".
Wie alt ist der Brocken?Doch neue Datierungen des Gipfelgesteins zeigen: Der Brocken ist bedeutend jünger als vielfach angenommen, er entstand erst vor 293 Millionen Jahren - und ist damit das Ergebnis eines noch größeren geologischen Eignisses.
Was gibt es oben auf dem Brocken?Im Brockenhaus finden Sie eine Ausstellung rund um den Brocken und den Nationalpark Harz. Die Exponate verteilen sich auf drei Etagen. Außerdem gibt es auf dem Dach eine offene Aussichtsplattform.. Kostenfrei.. Ganzjährig.. Ungeeignet für Rollstuhlfahrer & Kinderwagen.. |