Harzgerode - Selke Valley Trail - Alexisbad - Harzgerode

The starting point is the parking lot near the center of Harzgerode. From there, you go through a gate towards the east and after about 100 m reach Harzgerode Castle, built between 1549 and 1552. There is a museum in the castle. Leaving the castle on the right, we cross the tracks of the Selke Valley Railway, turn right at a small roundabout into the mountain town, and after 200 m turn left into a small alley. After 200 m we cross Lindenstraße and after another 200 m turn slightly right into Straße der Jugend, which ends after 150 m at the edge of Harzgerode. From here we use the hiking trail marked with a green cross and 47 B, which leads north across fields. After a total distance of 1.6 km we reach a covered seating area at the forest edge, from which our path leads half-right into the forest. This forest road leads continuously downhill towards the Schiebeck valley and crosses at a slope after 900 m a forest road running along the slope. We cross this straight ahead to continue downhill and after another 1.3 km reach the mouth of the Herzog-Alexis heritage adit.

50 m below the adit, the Schiebeck stream flows into the Selke, where we turn left onto the Selke Valley Trail running along the southern Selke bank to Mägdesprung. We pass a rock gate, a relic of the mill race of the Scheerenstieger mill. After 800 m the path takes us uphill and we reach a wooden bridge (Lampe), where we stay up on the slope to make a short detour 200 m to the right to the Hammerklippe. After another 900 m we see above the Selke the buildings of the first hammer mill. 500 m further on, the Selke Valley Trail, which runs on the right Selke bank, ends at the Carlswerk, a technical museum built in 1865. In the town of Mägdesprung we follow the signs of the Selke Valley Trail. We cross the uphill road to Harzgerode and have a longer steep climb ahead to reach the next destination, Mägdetrappe. We continue uphill and reach the Klippenweg at the height, where after one kilometer we reach the Köthener Hut, which offers a resting opportunity. From here we use the Pionierweg running on the slope, signed as the Selke Valley Trail, pass through the Pionier tunnel and continue on the Selke Valley Trail to the Luisentempel.

The Selke Valley Trail then leads us past the Luisenklippe on the left of the path and after 900 m reaches a right turn to the Peace Monument, where you have a magnificent view over Alexisbad. From the Peace Monument we follow the Selke Valley Trail again up to the Klippenweg, pass the Birkenhäuschen after 600 m and have a beautiful view of the Selke Valley at the engagement urn after 1 km. We follow the Selke Valley Trail but turn half-left immediately behind the engagement urn onto a high path that bends right after 400 m and leads to the Krause Hut. At the Krause Hut we do not take the road but instead use the forest path leading south, which brings us to the first houses of Harzgerode. We follow the residential street towards the town, turn right at the main street, cross the tracks of the Selke Valley Railway and reach our starting point of the route 100 m later.

Sturdy, ankle-high footwear with a grippy sole

From east or west via B 242, from Quedlinburg via L 242/B 185, from Ballenstedt via B 185

Parking lot west of the city center on Wallstraße.

Harz narrow-gauge railways, Harzgerode station, bus from Quedlinburg, Hettstedt, Wippra to Harzgerode

Tourist information Falkenstein/Harz OT Ermsleben
Tourist information in the town hall of Falkenstein/Harz
Markt 1
06463 Falkenstein/Harz
Tel: 034743 / 96101
Postfach@stadt-falkenstein-harz.de
www.stadt-falkenstein-harz.de

Sturdy footwear is absolutely necessary for the route. The ascent from Mägdesprung to the Klippenweg and the Pionierweg cannot be used when icy.

The East Harz 1:30,000, Schmidt Book Publishing Wernigerode