Sonnenberg circular trail

7.36 km long
Round trip
Difficulty: medium
Condition: medium
Hikes
  • 2:00 h
  • 7.36 km
  • 161 m
  • 139 m
  • 755 m
  • 834 m
  • 79 m
  • Start: Parking lot Sonnenberg West at the Harzklub hiking lodge.
  • Destination: same as starting point
Summer circular hiking trail at the Große and Kleine Sonnenberg in the high elevations of the Harz National Park.

The circular route begins at the Harzklub hiking lodge Sonnenberg. We go southwards up past the ski lifts to Große Sonnenberg. Then we turn right downhill again, passing the Snow White cliffs to a shelter at a fork in the path. We stay below Sonnenberg and follow the beginning of the "Sonnenberger Graben" eastwards for a stretch. However, we soon turn left off this, following the wide track. Shortly before reaching the road to St. Andreasberg, we take the small left-side path to cross the road so that we can reach the hiking trail starting directly opposite, which we follow to the next crossroads. We now turn left on the "Harzburger Weg" on the north flank of Rehberg and reach the ski cross at the highest point. After descending, we reach a larger track again, which we follow on the left side towards Sonnenberg. On this section of the path we enjoy a wide view towards Brocken as well as the striking peaks of Achtermann and Wurmberg. After passing under a ski lift, we reach the road again. Right of it, a footpath leads us back to the starting point below the carriageway.

Good to know

Pavements

Trail
Gravel
Path

Best to visit

suitable
Depends on weather

Directions

The path is marked by the Harz National Park as a circular hiking trail with a red symbol and a 2. In the first third, we also follow the Harzklub main hiking trail 16C with a blue circle. Later at the ski cross, it is 16E and afterwards we follow 16G.

Equipment

Normal hiking equipment with good footwear recommended.

Directions & Parking facilities

Striking settlement "Sonnenberg" located on the B242 Harzhochstraße Clausthal-Zellerfeld - Braunlage, directly at the intersection of the state road to/from St. Andreasberg - Bad Lauterberg.
Parking lot Sonnenberg West at the Harzklub hiking lodge.

At Sonnenberg, bus lines 840 St. Andreasberg - Altenau - Clausthal-Zellerfeld and 820 St. Andreasberg - Braunlage branch off with an approximately 1-2 hour frequency.

Line 820 can be used in both directions if Braunlage is to be reached.

Additional information

On this route you usually don’t meet many people. The paths are sometimes very natural and you can experience excellent forest walking.

Author

Jörg Kühnhold

Organization

Nationalpark Harz

License (master data)

License: Attribution, ShareAlike

Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author

Varied landscape of the national park with cliffs, moors, ditches, and wide views.

Safety guidelines

Due to the long snow season, the path is only passable from late spring to autumn.

Nearby

Address

Sonnenberg circular trail
Braunlage