We start our tour today at the Donkey Driver statue near the Market Church in Osterode am Harz. In the idyllic half-timbered town, history comes alive, and a stroll through the alleys with many small shops is definitely worthwhile. We cycle northeast and leave the roundabout at the second exit. At the second exit, we turn left onto Alte Harzstraße, which we follow steadily uphill, leaving the Osterode district Freiheit behind on the right. We cycle over plateaus and wooded areas and turn right at the upcoming intersection. We follow the little river Große Bremke and keep heading north. Federal road 241 gradually moves away, and we enjoy the peace in the forest. The path gently rises, and at the height of Buntenbocks, we almost reach the idyllic plateau of the Upper Harz. Surrounded by mountain meadows, forests, and ponds, where we can make a detour for a short break, we keep left and turn onto the Innerste cycle path, which we then follow along the river of the same name to Wildemann. Along the way, we pass the former Silbernaal shaft, which was in operation since 1822 and supplied the region with lead and zinc. In the Upper Harz mining town of Wildemann, it’s worthwhile to explore deeper into mining history. The 19-Lachter-Stollen visitor mine vividly shows the history and traditions of mining in the Harz. We cycle along Clausthaler Straße and explore the small mining town, which lies idyllically between the Innerste and Spiegeltal valleys. We cycle back on the same street until we nearly reach the town entrance again and turn right west into the Bärenhöhletal. We follow this valley until we reach a large intersection with many branching paths, known as the Schweinebraten. This intersection is marked by a wooden wild boar and also serves as a resting place. After a short orientation, we cycle downhill on a paved road towards Bad Grund, turn right at the Harzhochstraße junction, and pass the Cave Experience Center Iberger Dripstone Cave. The show cave is many millions of years old and holds exciting facts connected to Upper Harz mining history. At the Berg Museum, visitors can learn everything about the oldest proven extended family, whose remains were found in the Liechtenstein Cave 15 km away. Afterwards, we cycle right through the Fairy Tale Valley and cross the entire mining town on Bergstraße and L524, with its half-timbered houses and small shops. Shortly after the sawmill at the town’s end, we turn right onto the Laubhütte Bad Grund cycle path. From there, the ride is quite relaxed downhill. We cycle through the town of Windhausen and then southward via K421 through Badenhausen. We continue over Neuhütte street and through field paths to Förste, from where we return to Osterode am Harz on level ground without elevation changes.
