Northern circular route

The route begins at the tourist information at Schnappelberg. The app guides you down Schnappelberg, through Herzogstraße and behind the train station out of town via Alte Halberstädter Straße. After passing the pine forest in the “Heers,” you reach Börnecke station on the Blankenburg-Halberstadt line. A comfortable concrete path leads past the tracks towards Börnecke, which becomes a gravel path and connects directly to Börnecke’s Bahnhofstraße. Here you can get an overview of the region at the information point and enjoy a piece of rural idyll before continuing along Halberstädter Straße past the riding hall and out of town towards Halberstadt.

The small Weinberg ridge attracts with Adonis flowers in spring. You cross it through a small, gorge-like passage in the hill. After a short descent, the following field path leads towards the Thekenberge, rocky, partly wooded, and heath-like hills emerging from the Harz foothills. In the distance, the Harslebener Berge nature reserve greets you. The adjoining treeless, heath-like area resembles the expanses of the Lüneburg Heath. The natural path through the dry grasslands leads to the former military training area, which nature has reclaimed.

From here, keep left and ride past Halberstadt’s legendary Klusberge hills to the grounds of the Technical Relief Agency (Technisches Hilfswerk). If the gate is closed, it can be easily opened. “Devil’s Chair” and “Five-Finger Rock” are mystical rock formations definitely worth a detour or separate visit to the Klusberge.

After the THW grounds, cross the road and enter Sternwartenweg through a pretty housing estate on the outskirts of the district town. Follow Hans-Neupert-Straße and the horse paddocks along Kirschallee to the riding stable. A restaurant here invites you to take a break before continuing along Spiegelsbergenweg past soccer fields and the summer pool into Halberstadt.

At the traffic light intersection, turn left into Südstraße. At the game magazine, carefully cross the B81 and follow the footpath past the water tower and turn left at the junction along the B79 to Mahndorfer Straße. This takes you on a lightly trafficked country road past Veltenmühle, along the homonymous housing development, into the small village of Mahndorf. Here, the pretty small Hof Cafe on the grounds of the former manor surprises with delicious refreshments on weekends.

From Halberstadt, you ride more or less parallel to the Holtemme river. About 2 km behind Mahndorf, you cross the stream in a beautiful rural landscape and can follow the Holtemmeradweg signage through Derenburg to Wernigerode. Small alleys right by the water, dotted with informative panels about flora and fauna as well as benches make this part of the route very entertaining. The view over the fields to the Harz mountains with the Brocken and the silhouette of Wernigerode Castle is a delight.

A stop at the Harzkristall glass manufactory with experiential areas and a gastronomic offer is, of course, worthwhile. The next refreshment awaits at the Rote Mühle, a cult-status excursion restaurant, also located directly on the bike path.  

Upon arrival in Wernigerode, follow the well-developed foot/bike path next to the B244 to the left until the Rimkertor. (If you want to go to the center of Wernigerode, go straight at this point along the Holtemme – see the signs to the center)

At Rimkertor and the entrance to Wernigerode’s old town, you reach Lindenallee.

If you still have enough energy or battery at this point, normally follow the Harz app's 50-meter altitude climb towards Lustgarten below Wernigerode Castle. (Everyone else stays on the road-adjacent bike path R1 to Benzingerode from here)

Above Lustgarten, the forest paths become somewhat more comfortable again. By the way, here you are on the old, natural course of the EuroVelo route R1 through the forest. At the idyllic Eisengarten meadow near Benzingerode, you reach the highest point of the tour at 293 meters above sea level. At the geological information panel with seating, turn left and immediately take the first street on the right (Friedensstraße) through the village. From the two-lane concrete path, you have a beautiful view of the village of Benzingerode nestled charmingly in the mountains. At the end of the concrete path, you reach a large meadow and a wildlife enclosure where you turn left. Shortly you will reach the EuroVelo route R1 again and can follow its signs to the entrance of Blankenburg. Worth mentioning is the beautiful Ziegenberg ridge to your left. After you have passed the sometimes quite rough path downhill through Teufelsbachtal, you reach the district road between Heimburg and the Blankenburg district Oesig.

From here, the app leads you directly through the city via Michaelsteiner Straße, Grefestraße, Gartenstraße, and Mauerstraße back to the starting point.

If you want to add 1-2 km and a few altitude meters, follow the signs of the EuroVelo route R1 to Michaelstein Monastery and follow it to the garages behind the Great Castle, ride above the castle pond to Vogelherdstraße and down Schnappelberg to the tourist information.