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NATURA tip 7 – Hochharz

27.08 km long
Round trip
Difficulty: difficult
Condition: difficult
Great panorama
Walking / hiking
© Regionalverband Harz e. V., Regionalverband Harz e. V.
© Regionalverband Harz, Harz: Magische Gebirgswelt
© Oliver Henze, Harz: Magische Gebirgswelt | CC-BY
  • 8:20 h
  • 27.08 km
  • 911 m
  • 911 m
  • 1,141 m
  • 1,142 m
  • 1 m
  • Start: National Park House Ilsetal
  • Destination: National Park House Ilsetal

The approximately 27 km long route connects some of the highlights of the Harz National Park in Saxony-Anhalt: Brocken, Urwald-Stieg, Hidden Ilse, Plessenburg and Ilsestein.

The tour leads through the Natura 2000 area „Hochharz“ in the Harz National Park. Where the „Harz bread tree“, the spruce, once dominated the landscape, the primeval forest of tomorrow is emerging in the National Park. The path leads through near-natural beech forests along the rushing Ilse up to the Scharfenstein. The steep ascent to the Brocken takes place via the Heineweg. The path soon passes the tree line of the Brocken summit. On the Urwaldstieg, the Harz forests can be viewed from a new perspective. Past the Hidden Ilse, beautiful views back to the Brocken open up from the Ilsestein and the Paternosterklippen.     

Harz: Magische Gebirgswelt
Harz: Magische Gebirgswelt

Good to know

Pavements

Asphalt (4%)
Gravel (74%)
Street (14%)
Path (1%)
Trail (7%)

Best to visit

suitable
Depends on weather

Directions

The day hike through the Natura 2000 area „Hochharz“ starts in the National Park municipality of Ilsenburg at the Princess Ilse spring. The hike follows the Heinrich-Heine-Weg through the Ilse valley. To the south, the Gruhe branch leads from the Great Sand Valley up towards the ranger station Scharfenstein. Following the poet's path, it goes up to the Brocken over the Heineweg or Hirtenstieg. The descent initially follows the Brockenstraße. After a detour to the Urwaldstieg, the Gelber Brink path soon branches off north from the Brockenstraße. Passing the Hidden Ilse, the hike now leads to the Bremer Hut. From here, the Plessenburg is already signposted. From the Plessenburg inn, via the Paternosterklippen and the Ilsestein, the path finally returns to the starting point of the hike.

Directions & Parking facilities

Ilsenburg can be reached via the A36 and the B244.       

There are several paid hiking parking lots in the Ilse valley.

Ilsenburg can be reached by bus and train. The nearest stop is „Ilsenburg Waldhotel“.

Additional information

Tourist Information Ilsenburg
Marktpl. 1
38871 Ilsenburg (Harz)
039452  19433
info@ilsenburg.de 
www.ilsenburg-tourismus.de

Brockenhaus

www.brockenhaus-harz.de

Literature

The NATURA tip 7 „Hochharz“ describes the hiking tour as well as the animal and plant species occurring here and their habitats with short texts and great photos. It is available, for example, at the National Park House Ilsetal, in the Tourists Office in Ilsenburg as well as at www.harzregion.de.

Author

Regionalverband Harz e. V.

Organization

Harz: Magische Gebirgswelt

Website

License (master data)

Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author

The Brockenhaus on the Brocken summit is dedicated as an information center of the Geopark Harz · Braunschweiger Land · Ostfalen, among other things, to the interesting geology of the mountain. In the Brockengarten, alpine plants from all over the world can be admired.

Map

The NATURA tip 7 contains a hiking map.

Nearby

Contact

Ilsenburg (Harz)
Travel by carTravel by public transport