Seven at Once – The Summit Trail in the Harz National Park

The Harz is the northernmost low mountain range in Central Europe. With heights over 1000 m, it visibly towers above its surroundings. At its highest point, the Brocken (1141 m), it even reaches the climatic tree line. The summit is covered by a tree-free subalpine dwarf shrub heath. With Wurmberg, Achtermannshöhe, and Bruchberg, three more prominent Harz summits exceed the 900-meter mark.

The summit trail leads you from one high point to the next. Starting with Ettersberg (482 m) and Scharfenstein (698 m) at the northern edge of the Harz, you cross seven distinctive Harz peaks on this challenging and unique northern German mountain route – the "Seven Summits." You will be rewarded with magnificent views and plenty of pristine nature.
The route mainly follows narrow hiking and mountain paths with historically significant names such as Heidentreppe, Hirten- or Eselsstieg. Several times it touches the Green Belt, the former inner-German border. Along the way, you can immerse yourself in the fascinating wonderland of the Harz National Park. The summit trail is designed as a two-day route and requires sturdy footwear and good fitness. Starting and ending points are Bad Harzburg or Altenau. Overnight stays are possible, for example, in Schierke or Braunlage. For extreme hikers, the route is also doable in one day, although about 2000 meters of elevation must be overcome in one go. Those hiking as day hikers have several shortcut options from the starting point Bad Harzburg: For example, from the Brocken, you follow the Goetheweg and descend via Eckersprung to the Eckertalsperre (route length approx. 28 km). An even more extreme variant offers the descent from Wurmberg via Ulmer Weg to Dreieckigen Pfahl and the Kaiserweg back to Bad Harzburg (approx. 42 km). From all 900-meter peaks, a shortcut to the settlements of Torfhaus, Oderbrück, or Königskrug can also be chosen. Here on Federal Road 4, you can conveniently take bus line 820 back to Bad Harzburg.